Second Chances
by kendra151
Summary: Kelly receives an offer from Mark Calloway to help save her business. Will she accept his proposition?
1. Chapter 1

**So this is another one of my old stories. I'm just reposting it so I can consolidate all of my stories under one account. I apologize to those of you who have already read it. :-)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mark Calloway or the Undertaker, sadly.**

**Chapter 1**

Lying alone in her large bed, Kelly suddenly opened her eyes as something jolted her from her sleep. Looking around the room, she noticed the curtains fluttering from the breeze coming in through the open window. She listened intently for a moment, trying to figure out what it was that had disturbed her, jumping when she heard a noise come from the corner of the room. Looking in the direction of the sound, her eyes grew wide when she saw a huge man step out of the shadows. Completely frozen to the bed, she was unable to move as he came closer to her, the shadows seeming to follow him as he drifted across the floor. Once he reached the bed, he slowly sat down on the edge, the mattress sinking underneath his weight and Kelly could only stare at him in fear as she tried to figure out who this man was and why he was here.

Without a sound, he leaned down and claimed her lips in a fiery kiss and she found herself unable to pull away as she returned the kiss with wild abandon. Her mystery lover wrapped his strong arms around her and she found herself being pushed gently back down to the mattress, as he broke the kiss and began moving his lips further down her body. Leaving no spot untouched, he tormented her mercilessly until she was begging and pleading for him to take her, taking her to the edge and back, time and time again, until they were both thoroughly exhausted.

Hours later, he pulled himself away from her and sat up, gazing out the window as the first light of dawn peaked over the horizon. Kelly whimpered and reached for him as he moved, frightened that he might be about to leave her. Looking back down at her for a moment, he reached for the small bedside lamp as if to turn it on and she sucked in a heavy breath as she followed his movements. After all this time, he was finally going to reveal himself to her...

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Kelly groaned as she rolled over and tapped the alarm, shutting it off. 6:30 already! Morning always came too fast! And right in the middle of her dream too! It was the same damn dream that she had been having for months now but she had yet to see the man's face. Every time he was about to reveal his identity to her, something always awakened her.

Stretching, she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. What she wouldn't give for another hour or two of sleep. She was absolutely exhausted. She had been wearing herself too thin as of late and her lack of sleep was starting to catch up to her. Hopefully, things would brighten up soon and she would be able to take some much needed time off. Some days that thought was all that kept her going.

Looking back at the clock wishfully for a moment, she finally pulled herself from the bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready for another long day at work. Thirty minutes later she was ready and she headed out the door, cup of coffee in hand, climbing into her dusty old pickup truck as she headed off to work.

As she drove down the highway, she couldn't help but notice the trees and flowers that were scattered along the side of the road. The weather had been unusually warm for this time of year and many of the trees were already in bloom. The dogwoods were her favorite. The pink and white blossoms cast an almost eerie glow in the early morning sunlight, sometimes making it seem as if the whole tree had been cast in silver. That's where she had gotten the name for her business. The name always inspired her to work hard and appreciate what she had. It reminded her of what she lived for.

Kelly looked out the window again as she continued down the road. She was glad to see that spring had finally arrived. It had always been her favorite season. The winter had been unbearable long and cold and there were times when she wondered if she would ever make it through. But now it was over and spring was here. It was a time for renewal, a second chance at life. A renewal of her life. A chance to start over.

She spotted the sign marked Silver Tree Stables and turned onto the gravel road leading up to the building, pulling into the graveled parking lot, which was completely deserted except for a beat up Ford pickup parked off to the side. Kelly knew before she saw it that it would be there. It was there every morning when she arrived. It belonged to George, an elderly stable hand who helped her out around the barn. Despite his age, George was a hard worker and a dependable person. He worked every day from daylight to dark, never leaving her alone as long as there was work to be done. Kelly had tried in vain to get him to slow down before he worked himself to death, but he just kept right on going. She wished she could afford to pay him more than she did, but she knew even if she couldn't pay him at all, he would still be there to help her. To Kelly, he was a lifesaver. She didn't know what she would do without his help.

Pulling into her parking space, she parked her truck and got out, heading toward the barn. She smiled when she rounded the corner and saw George, already hard at work feeding the horses.

"I see you got tired of waiting on me again this morning." Kelly said as she approached him.

"Good morning, Miss Kelly." he replied as he looked up at her. "The poor things were hungry this morning. I figured it wasn't any use makin' em wait any longer than they had to."

"Well I'm here now so let me help you." Kelly said as she headed for the ladder.

She climbed up to the loft and tossed down a couple bales of hay, while George finished filling the buckets with feed. Once the horses were all fed and happy, Kelly proceeded through the stable, heading toward her office in the far corner of the barn.

"Oh, Miss Kelly. I almost forgot." George called after her. "That man from the bank was here again yesterday after you left. He gave me some papers to give to you. I put them on your desk."

"Okay. Thanks George." she replied as she opened her door and went inside.

She put her things away and busied herself around the office for a few minutes before she turned to her desk and noticed the large brown envelope with her name across the front. Pulling out her chair, she sat down at her desk and stared at it, already knowing what was inside.

Reluctantly, she picked it up and turned it over in her hands before opening it. Pulling the papers out, she felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes as she skimmed over the document. She didn't need to read the entire thing. The most important words stood out like a sore thumb. MORTGAGE DUE. DELINQUENT. FORECLOSURE.

She tossed the papers back down on her desk in disgust before picking up a stack of bills lying beside them. She shuffled through them, noticing that they were all the same: PAST DUE, DELINQUENT, SECOND NOTICE. She tossed them back down on top of the first paper, as she tried to fight back her tears.

"Are you alright, Miss Kelly?" George asked softly and Kelly jumped, startled by his sudden presence.

"I'm fine George." she replied as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Are you sure? If that man from the bank has upset you again, you let me know and I'll take care of him. He may be twice my size, but if he's hurt my girl, I'll whip his ass for ya."

Kelly couldn't help but smile at his choice of words.

"I appreciate the offer, George. Really I do. But I'm afraid I'll have to deal with Mr. Callaway on my own."

"Well…if you insist. But you be sure to let me know if I can do anything to help ya."

Kelly nodded her head as he turned and walked away.

"There's nothing you can do, George. I have to do this myself." she whispered, as she looked back down at the papers on her desk.

Pulling herself together, Kelly stepped out of her office. Walking to the middle of the barn, she stopped and slowly looked around her. While this place may not have seemed like much to most people, it was her dream come true. This place was her home. Her life. For as far back as she could remember, she had always had a fascination with horses. Growing up, all she had ever wanted to do was to have a job were she could work around them every day. To her, there was nothing more exhilarating than to ride through the fields or take a five foot jump on the back of a horse. This was definitely her dream job.

Her parents, on the other hand, had not been pleased with her choice of careers and they had done their best to discourage her. She was a Deveraux and Deverauxs didn't stoop to that kind of work. They felt that she was too good to work with "those filthy animals," as her mother always called them.

Her mother had wanted her to go to medical school and follow in her father's footsteps. He was one of the top brain surgeons in the country and he was a very wealthy man. But Kelly knew him well enough to know that his motivation was all wrong. He hadn't pursued his career out of a desire to save human lives. He selected it for the fame and notoriety that came with it. The money. The cars. The houses. To her parents, those were the only things that mattered.

They had been furious when she had refused to attend the college of their choice and since then, they had refused to help her out in any way with her school or her business. But Kelly wanted more from life than fame and fortune. She wanted to enjoy her life and she knew of no better way to do that then on the back of a horse. She had worked hard to put herself through college and she had scrimped and saved every penny she could along the way, with the intentions of being able to open her own stables one day. Once she had completed college, she had worked for a couple of years at another stable in a nearby town, where she gained the practical knowledge she needed to make it on her own. And now here she was, standing in the middle of her very own barn, and she was on the verge of losing it all.

Things had gone so well the first couple of years. Not only did she offer to board horses for people who didn't have room to keep them elsewhere, but she taught riding lessons as well. She also trained horses for the owners who wanted to show them. She had competed successfully in several Hunter/Jumper competitions and her services had been in high demand for a while. But then a couple of new barns had opened up not far from her own and because of their larger size, they were able to offer the same services at a much lower price. She had raised her prices slightly to try to make up for the loss of business but one by one, her customers had slowly deserted her. Now she was left with only a small handful of loyal owners, who were willing to pay the extra money in order to have her look after their prized animals. But it wasn't enough to pay the bills. She had managed to sneak by for a few months, but things had eventually piled up and now she was 6 months behind on her mortgage, not to mention the numerous other bills. She didn't know how or where she could find the money to pay them all off, but she knew she had to do something. She had worked too hard to watch everything disappear before her very eyes.

Almost as if he knew what she was thinking about, one of the horses poked his head out of his stall and whinnied at her. Smiling, she walked to him and began to pet him. This was her favorite horse. She'd saved up and bought him herself, the first one she had ever owned. He was a large black Thoroughbred with a small white blaze down his forehead. She had named him Oreo because of his color.

"What are we gonna do now, big guy?" she asked, staring absently into space as she continued to pet him. "I don't know where I'm gonna find the money to save this place."

"Or you for that matter." she added, as she looked at him again.

Oreo nuzzled her in the side, as if to tell her that he wouldn't let her leave him. She smiled and scratched his favorite spot behind his ear. He had always been very demanding of her attention.

"I guess I'll have to go to the bank and talk to Mr. Callaway again. Maybe I can convince him to give me a little more time."

As if in agreement, Oreo raised his head and whinnied again softly.

Kelly patted him on the neck and turned to walk away. She saw George enter the far end of the barn and she headed toward him.

"Are you feeling better now, Miss Kelly?" he asked when she approached him.

"I'm fine George. But I need to run to the bank and talk with Mr. Callaway this morning. Do you think you can handle things here on your own for a little bit?"

"Yes ma'am." he replied. "We'll be just fine. You go ahead and take as much time as you need. I'll handle things here for ya."

"Thanks George" she replied as she turned and headed back to her office. She quickly gathered up her papers, then headed out the door to the bank.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly entered the bank and slowly walked up to the teller's window. She hated coming here. This place was so stuffy, the men and women all dressed up in their business suits and dress shoes, while she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. They looked at her like she was so far beneath them, like they were so much better than she was. They reminded her of her parents.

Ignoring their stares, she approached the window and stood for several minutes until she finally got the teller's attention.

"I need to speak with Mr. Callaway, please." Kelly said softly, trying to ignore the look the woman was giving her.

"Do you have an appointment?" the teller asked her, looking down at her through her glasses.

"No. But it's very important that I speak with him." she replied.

She couldn't help but notice the smirk that came across the lady's face.

"I'm sure it is. Just have a seat over there and I'll let him know you're here." the teller said, motioning toward the waiting area.

Giving her one last glance, Kelly walked over to one of the leather chairs and sat down.

"Snotty bitch!" she murmured underneath her breath, as she tried to make herself comfortable.

Kelly had hoped that she wouldn't have to wait long before she could see Mr. Callaway, but she was left waiting for over an hour before his secretary finally called her back to his office.

When she entered the room, she noticed him sitting behind his huge desk, reclining back in his chair, looking as if he had nothing better to do than to speak with her. He was a huge man, standing nearly 7 ft. tall, with broad shoulders and piercing green eyes. The way he looked at her with those eyes made her very uncomfortable and she hated to admit it but he frightened her a lot. His size, when combined with his position of power, made him a very intimidating man.

"Well, Ms. Deveraux. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you today?" he asked, in a slow, drawn out voice.

Kelly pulled the papers from the envelope and tossed them on his desk.

"You know perfectly well why I'm here." she said, motioning toward the papers. "You can't do this. You have to give me more time. I'll find some way to come up with the money. I promise. I just need more time."

Mr. Callaway picked up the papers and looked them over for a moment, before laying them back down.

"More time? More time? That's all you keep asking for is more time! I've given you all the time you're going to get. If you can't come up with the money within two of weeks, then I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to foreclose on your property."

"Two weeks?" Kelly replied, looking at him in shock. "But there's no way I can come up with that much money so soon! Can't you give me just a little longer?"

"I'm afraid not. I've been very generous with you so far, Ms. Deveraux. Two weeks is all you have. Not a day longer."

With that said, he turned his attention back to the stack of papers on his desk.

"Where am I supposed to find that much money in two weeks?" she asked frantically, standing from her chair and leaning over the edge of the desk towards him.

Mr. Callaway smirked as he looked up at her once more.

"What about your family? Your parents, maybe? What about friends? Business associates?" he asked, staring her down with those emerald green eyes again.

Kelly shook her head. Her parents would never help her out. They would be glad to see her go under. And she had plenty of friends but none of them had that kind of money for her to borrow.

"Where you get the money is not my problem, Ms. Deveraux. It's yours." Mr. Callaway added, as he pulled himself from his chair.

Watching as he rose from his seat, Kelly stepped back from his desk. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the way he was staring at her. She eyed him warily as he slowly edged around the corner of the desk towards her.

"But there must be some other way. Isn't there something else that I can do? I can't lose this business! I've worked too hard for it to slip through my fingers now!" she pleaded, looking up at him as he came closer.

Mr. Callaway paused for a moment as he looked down at her thoughtfully.

"Maybe there is something that you can do." he said quietly, as he began to move toward her again.

Unconsciously, Kelly continued to back away from him until she reached the wall, trying not to panic as he towered over her. Reaching out, he slowly picked up a strand of her blond hair as he leaned in towards her ear. He closed his eyes as he breathed in her warm scent, fighting the urge to kiss her. Regaining his control, he whispered to her softly.

"We might be able to work out some kind of deal. Maybe if you're willing to take care of my needs, I'll be willing to take care of yours."

As the meaning of his words registered in her mind, Kelly felt her fear change to anger. With all the strength she could muster, she brought her arms up between them and shoved him away.

"You arrogant bastard!" she screamed, as she took a step towards him. "How dare you even suggest something like that to me? Do you think I'm so desperate to save my business that I would actually sleep with you? It would be a cold day in hell before I'd ever let you touch me Mr. Callaway!"

Without giving him a chance to reply, she stormed out of his office, leaving him standing there with an evil smirk on his face. He looked down at his desk, noticing the papers she had left behind.

"You may be upset about it now." he said to himself, as he walked around his desk and took his seat again. "But I promise you, you'll be back. I'll make sure of it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
**  
Kelly gripped the steering wheel tightly as she pulled out of the parking lot. The nerve of that jerk! How dare he try to take advantage of her situation! Sleep with him in exchange for money! She couldn't believe that he would actually suggest something like that to her!

Well, she wouldn't do it! She had worked her fingers to the bone to get where she was at and she would be damned if she would resort to sleeping with a man to retain her livelihood! She would call her parents and ask them for help first!

Kelly was still shaking with anger when she arrived back at the stables. She tried to calm herself before she went inside, but she knew that George would see right through her. He had an uncanny ability to read people, especially her.

Taking a few deep breaths, she crawled out of her truck and headed into the barn. When she turned the corner, she noticed that George was nowhere to be seen and she quickly headed to her office, hoping to hide out for a while longer before she had to face him. But just as she reached the door, he rounded the corner and spotted her.

"Well Miss Kelly, how did your meetin' go at the bank?" he asked.

"Not good, I take it." he added, as he came closer and saw her face.

"No, it didn't go well at all George and I would rather not talk about it right now." she replied, eager to get away from him.

"That jerk got you upset again, didn't he? Why, I outta go down there and give him a piece of my mind. Upsettin you like that. What did he do this time?"

Kelly hesitated, not wanting to break the news to her dearest friend, but knowing it wouldn't do any good to lie to him.

"He gave me two weeks to come up with the money. Otherwise, he's going to foreclose on the property." she sighed, deliberately leaving out the remainder of their conversation.

"Two weeks?" George exclaimed. "How in the hell does he expect you to come up with that kinda money in two weeks?"

"I don't know." Kelly replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Well I've got some money saved up in the bank. It's not enough to pay everything off, but you're welcome to it. You need it a helluva lot more than I do."

"I won't take your money George. I'll find some other way to get it." she replied, wincing when she remembered Mr. Callaway's offer. She wouldn't do that either. "Please excuse me. I need to be alone for awhile."

He nodded to her as she turned and walked away. He could tell that something else was bothering her and he wondered just what exactly had gone on during her business meeting with Mr. Callaway. He'd had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the man a few times before and George had quickly taken note of the way he looked at Kelly whenever she was nearby. If anyone had asked, George would have told them that he didn't trust the man. Not one measly bit. He knew he would definitely have to keep his eye on the man to make sure he didn't cause Kelly any more trouble.

Kelly entered her office and closed the door, her mind a blur as she collapsed into her chair. Where was she going to find the help she needed to save this place? Who would possibly lend her that kind of money?

She desperately racked her brain trying to come up with a solution. There had to be something she could do. She couldn't give up her dreams so easily.

Sorting through her papers, she remained alone in her office for the rest of the afternoon, running through her few meager options as she tried to find some way out of her difficult dilemma.

When she emerged from her office later that evening, she still hadn't formed a plan of action, but she tried to push her worries to the side for a little while. Right now, she was looking forward to teaching her afternoon riding lesson. Today's class was for the younger kids, ranging in age from seven to twelve years old. She always enjoyed teaching the kids. The smiles on their faces always made her feel good about herself. She understood the look of joy on their faces as they rode their horses around the arena. Riding always made her feel the same way.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

The lesson went smoothly and when they were done, she helped the kids brush the horses and put them away. When the last child had left, she headed to Oreo's stall with a saddle in hand. Maybe a good, long ride through the fields would help clear her mind a bit.

She quickly saddled him up and headed out, guiding him effortlessly across the ground. She even took him over a fence or two, instead of opening the gates. Guiding him towards the pond located in the far corner of the property, she carefully eased him up to the edge and let him drink as she looked around her. She always enjoyed coming back here. It let her escape reality, if only for a little while. It was so peaceful and quiet, she could easily stay here for days.

After a long while, she reluctantly turned Oreo around and headed back to the barn. She knew if she stayed gone too long, George would get worried about her.

When she arrived back at the stables, she tied Oreo to a post and removed his saddle. She carefully brushed out his black coat until it shined, then she turned her attention to his mane, carefully detangling all of the knots. Kelly was so wrapped up in what she was doing that she never heard the large figure that had snuck up behind her.

"Very nice."

Startled, Kelly whirled around to face whoever had spoken to her, her mouth dropping open when she saw none other than Mr. Callaway himself standing before her.

"What the hell are you doing here!" she shouted. "I don't want you anywhere near me!"

Mr. Callaway threw his hands up in the air and took a step back.

"I was just returning your belongings." he replied innocently, handing her the papers she had left behind when she stormed out of his office. "You left in such a hurry, I didn't have a chance to give them back to you."

Kelly quickly snatched the envelope from his hand and threw it on the ground. She watched as he took another step back from her and looked around the barn.

"You know, this is a very nice place you have here. It would be a shame for me to have to close it down. Maybe it would be in your best interest to reconsider my earlier offer."

Kelly clenched her fists, tempted to punch him right in the face.

"Get out!" she yelled, pointing toward the doorway. "I want you out of here now!"

"Now be sensible about this, Ms. Deveraux. Just think about it for a little while. That's all I ask. I don't see how you could possibly afford to refuse me." he replied with a smirk.

"Get out!" she repeated, motioning toward the door again.

Mr. Callaway smiled down at her for a few more seconds before slowly turning and walking away. Kelly watched him leave, her whole body shaking with anger. What a jerk! She couldn't believe the nerve of this man. It was bad enough that he had made such an indecent proposal to begin with, but now he had offered it twice! In one day! What in the hell was wrong with him?

When she was sure that he was finally gone, she glanced at the envelope that she had tossed on the ground, bending over to pick it up. Opening it, she turned it upside down and pulled the papers out. She noticed a small card fall from the empty envelope and she bent over again to pick it up, noticing that it was one of Mr. Callaway's business cards. Turning it over, she felt another wave of anger course through her when she saw what he had written on the back.

JUST IN CASE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND

And beneath that he had written his cell phone number.

Quickly stuffing the papers back into the envelope, she threw it off to the side before turning back to Oreo and leading him back to his stall. Once he was put away, she went back to her office and gathered her things, then headed for home. When she reached her apartment, she hurried inside and closed the door and once she was safely inside, she collapsed onto the floor and began to sob.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
**  
The next couple of weeks passed by quickly and Kelly still hadn't found a way to come up with the money she needed to save the stables. She had called every friend and business associate she could think of, but none of them had been able to help her out. She had also contacted every bank in the surrounding area, but none of them would talk to her because of her weak financial condition. Sitting alone in her office, she stared at the calendar, taking note of the fact that she only had two days left to come up with the money. Otherwise, her business and her dreams would both be destroyed for good.

Letting her gaze wander to the telephone, she realized that there was one person she had yet to try. Debating with herself about whether or not to call, she finally decided that she had to try. After all, it couldn't hurt to ask. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"Hello. Mom?" she asked, when she heard a voice answer on the other end. "This is Kelly."

"Well, hello dear. What a surprise. How have you been doing?" her mother replied.

"Not good Mom. Listen, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you. I need your help. I'm six months behind on the mortgage and the bank is ready to shut the stables down. Is there anyway you could lend me the money to pay it off. I promise I'll pay the money back as soon as things pick up around here."

Her mother was silent for a moment before she finally offered a reply.

"So your business isn't doing well. That's a shame, but I tried to warn you, dear. I told you what would happen if you pursued that crazy dream of yours. You can't even make enough money to support yourself. I certainly will not help you continue to run yourself into the ground. Personally, I will be glad to see you leave that filthy place and get a decent job."

"I really don't have time to listen to another lecture mom." Kelly replied, rolling her eyes. "Why can't you see how important this business is to me? Why can't you have a little bit of faith in me and help me out for once?"

"I do have faith in you, dear. I have faith that you would make a very fine doctor. For goodness sake Kelly, shut that place down and come home. I'll gladly pay to put you through medical school. It's not too late for you to finally do something with your life."

"Mom, please. I don't want to be a doctor. I want to work with horses. I enjoy working here at the stables. Why can't you understand that? Please just help me out this one time."

"I absolutely will not. I am not giving you one dime to put into that wretched business of yours. You're a Deveraux. And Deverauxs .."

"I know. I know. Deverauxs don't stoop to that kind of work. Thanks mom." Kelly replied, slamming the phone down before her mother had a chance to respond.

Well that was officially it. She had tried everything she could think of, but she still didn't have a way to pay the bank the money she owed them. She was disappointed by her mother's lack of support, but it wasn't really surprising. Deep down she had already known what her mother's response was going to be, but she was desperate, and at this point, she was willing to try anything.

Pulling herself from her chair, she slowly walked out into the barn and looked around her. She'd had so many hopes and dreams for this place, but apparently they had all been in vain. After a couple more days, this place would no longer be hers. She would be forced to move on and all of her dreams would be left behind.

As the tears began to fall, she walked back to her office and began to gather some of her things. Shuffling through some of the papers that were gathered around on her desk, she found the large brown envelope containing the foreclosure notice from the bank and she slowly opened it and pulled out the documents. For the first time, she read through them carefully, hoping that there was a loophole of some kind that she could use to buy her a little more time. But when she reached the bottom of the last page, she realized that there was nothing. She finally had to admit that she was defeated. There was no longer any hope that she would be able to keep her business alive.

Placing the papers back in the envelope, she saw something fall onto her desk. Picking it up, she saw that it was the business card that Mr. Callaway had given her the day he had made his proposal to her. Turning the card over, she glanced at the phone number that was written on the back, a small glimmer of hope rising inside of her. Maybe there was still a small chance that she might be able to save her business.

_If you're willing to take care of my needs, I'll be willing to take care of yours._

Wasn't that what he had suggested to her?

She shivered at the thought. There was no way she could ever bring herself to let that man touch her. Not even to salvage her dreams. Tossing the papers back onto her desk, she gathered the rest of her things and headed for home.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly rolled out of bed the next morning and staggered to the bathroom. Last night had to have been the longest night of her entire life. She didn't think she had slept for more than an hour or two altogether. She was too worried to sleep. All night long, she had racked her brain, trying to come up with a last minute plan to save her business. But her only thoughts kept leading back to Mr. Callaway and the offer that he had made to her.

As Kelly turned on the hot water and stepped into the shower, she felt an indescribable feeling of sadness wash over her. Today would be the last day that she would get up and head to the stables to work. What would she do tomorrow? Where would she go? She thought of George and how loyal and helpful he had been to her over the years. What would he do now? She knew he was just as devastated about this whole thing as she was. She just hoped that they could both find the strength to make it through.

Finishing her shower, she quickly got dressed for work, then left her apartment and headed toward the stables. Once again, George had beaten her there and he was already hard at work feeding the horses. Kelly helped him finish the morning chores, then reluctantly headed to her office to start packing up her things.

She removed her ribbons and trophies from the walls and carefully packed them away in boxes, then she turned her attention to her numerous photographs and began removing them as well. Picking up one of the frames, she smiled as she examined it. It was a picture of her standing in front of the barn, taken the day she had opened the stables. That day had been the happiest day of her life. She couldn't believe how quickly things had changed. Clutching the picture to her chest, she sat down in her chair and began to cry.

She was interrupted a few minutes later by a soft knock at the door. Turning to look, she saw George standing in the doorway and she quickly turned away from him and tried to wipe her eyes. She didn't want to upset him even more with her tears.

"Uh, Miss Kelly. There's something I need to talk to you about." he said softly.

"What is it, George?" Kelly asked as she turned to face him again, unable to make herself look him in the eye.

"Uh…well…" he stuttered, trying to figure out some way to begin.

Hearing the hesitation in his voice, Kelly finally looked up at him, immediately noticing how nervous he seemed.

"What is it George? Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No. No, everything's fine with me." he replied, taking note of the concern in her voice. "I don't want to upset you none Miss Kelly... but I had a run in with that man from the bank yesterday."

"Mr. Callaway?" Kelly asked, looking at him in surprise. "Where? What happened? Did he do something to you?"

"Here, ma'am. He was here yesterday evenin lookin for you. I told him to get the hell away from here and to leave you alone. I told him he'd already done enough damage as it was, and he didn't need to be around here upsettin you anymore." he stated, pausing for a moment to give Kelly time to digest what he was saying.

"And?" she prodded when he didn't continue.

"Uh…well..he kinda snapped back at me and told me to mind my own business…so I went after him."

Kelly looked at him in astonishment.

"George! You didn't try to fight him? That man is twice your size. He could have really hurt you."

"Well, ma'am, seein as how I was ridin on the tractor at the time, I kinda figured I had the advantage."

Kelly's hand flew to her mouth.

"George! You tried to run him over with the tractor? I'm surprised at you! How could you do…"

"Now, now. Don't go gettin yourself all worked up about nothin. I didn't hit him…although it wasn't from my lack of tryin. But…"

"But what?" Kelly asked hesitantly, not sure she really wanted to know.

"Well, uh, you see when he tried to move out of the way, he got all tangled up over his own feet and he fell into that huge mud hole out in front of the barn. Needless to say, he wasn't in a real good mood when he left here, but I don't reckon he'll be back to bother you no more."

Kelly stared at him for a long moment before finally erupting in a fit of laughter. She soon had George laughing right along with her. What she wouldn't give to have been able to see that. She laughed even harder at the thought of Mr. Callaway covered in mud, all over his expensive business suit and fancy shoes. It was probably the filthiest the man had ever been in his life. She was sure he had probably never even been near a barn before, until he decided to start hanging around hers. Well, it served the man right. As far as she was concerned, it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person.

After several minutes, George finally pulled himself back together and turned to leave.

"I've got some more chores I need to get finished. I just wanted to let you know what happened" he said as he walked away.

"Thanks for the laugh George. You have no idea how much I needed that." Kelly yelled after him as he left.

Still giggling, she turned her attention back to wall and finished packing her things away.

**XXXXXXXXXX  
**  
By mid-day, Kelly had most of the items in her office packed away into boxes and stacked in the corner of the room. Sitting down at her desk, she began sorting through the stacks of paper there while she ate her lunch.

As she finished off her sandwich, she was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. She stared at while she debated whether or not to answer it. She really didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment, but what if it was somebody who could help her save the stables?

Staring at it for a few more seconds, her curiosity finally got the better of her.

"Silver Tree Stables. This is Kelly. Can I help you?" she asked, as she finally picked up the receiver.

"Well, Ms. Deveraux. It's nice to hear your voice again." the person on the other end replied.

"Who is this?" she asked, unable to put a name with the familiar voice.

"This is Mr. Callaway."

At the mention of his name, Kelly felt a brief surge of anger course through her before she remembered the incident from the day before that George had told her about. She had to suppress a giggle when she pictured him lying in that huge pool of mud.

"I don't have anything left to say to you Mr. Callaway." she replied coldly, after regaining her composure.

"You know, you're a very difficult person to get a hold of sometimes." he continued, ignoring her statement. "I came by the barn to speak with you yesterday and that crazy old man that works for you damn near ran me over with a tractor."

Kelly grinned again as more images popped into her mind. Before she could offer a reply, Mr. Callaway continued.

"I thought it might be safer for me to just call you instead of driving out there to see you again."

"And just what is it that's so damned important that you have to get a hold of me anyway? I think you made it perfectly clear that I'm going to lose my business. Why do you insist on continuously rubbing it in my face?" Kelly snapped back, her patience quickly thinning.

"I told you before that there might be something you can do to save your business. I just wanted to let you know that my offer still stands. I'll give you until 5:00 this afternoon to make up your mind. If I don't hear from you by that time, then I'll go ahead and start with the foreclosure proceedings. You still have time to save that precious business of yours, Ms. Deveraux. It's your choice."

Kelly slammed the phone down without even offering a reply. That man never gave up! Why was he so insistent on her accepting his offer? Why did he seem to be so interested in sleeping with her? It certainly couldn't be because he found her attractive. She was sure she was nothing like the type of women he normally went out with.

Pulling a small mirror from her desk drawer, she studied herself for a moment. She supposed she was pretty enough, at least that's what a lot of people told her. She was fairly tall and the work around the barn kept her very fit and trim. She had nicely tanned skin, naturally blonde hair and dark blue eyes. But she didn't consider herself to be a beauty queen by any means. She didn't wear makeup, didn't wear fancy clothes, didn't have her nails done at ritzy beauty salons. She wasn't comfortable unless she was dressed in a pair of jeans and tennis shoes. No, she was certainly not the prim and proper type that she was sure Mr. Callaway would be seen with. So why was he so interested in her?

Kelly tried to shake the thoughts from her head she returned to the task at hand. Gathering up the phone numbers that she needed, she prepared herself to make the final calls she needed to put her affairs in order. But each time she reached for the phone, something held her back. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. In order to make those calls, she would be forced to admit that it was finally over- that she was a failure. She could hear her mother's voice swirling through her mind, screeching _I told you so!_over and over again a million times. And the worst part of all, was that she knew it didn't have to be this way. All she had to do was swallow her pride, compromise her beliefs, and make one simple phone call. Things could be different, if only she would let them.

Once again Kelly thought about Mr. Callaway's offer. Would he actually be willing to give her that much money just for sleeping with him? Or was it just some lame trick for him to worm his way into her pants. If he was evil enough to even suggest something like that to her to begin with, how would she know if she could even trust him at all? What if she slept with him and he foreclosed on her property anyway? What would she do then?

_What if?, _Kelly screamed in her mind. _How did I go from never to what if? My God, am I really desperate enough to save my business that I would let that man touch me like that?_

_But it would only be for one night…for a few hours…hell, maybe even a few minutes, _she argued to herself, trying to make his offer sound reasonable.

_Surely, it's worth giving up that much in order to save this place, isn't it?, _she asked herself, her thoughts beginning to run wild in her mind.

_No!,_ she thought, trying to pull herself back together. _I won't do it! I can't lower myself to that level!_

But even as the thought crossed her mind, her gaze traveled back to phone. One call. One call and all her dreams could be salvaged.

For the rest of the afternoon, Kelly remained alone in her office, her gaze traveling from the phone to the clock and back to the phone again. Several times, she talked herself into making the call, only to talk herself out of it again as she picked up the receiver. She could already picture the look on Mr. Callaway's face when he realized that he had won and it turned her stomach. But the thought of shutting down the stables upset her even more.

Looking at the clock again, she noticed that it was 4:55. Her time was almost up. She realized it was now or never. She could either swallow her pride and make the call or give up everything she had ever dreamed about and walk away.

Glancing at the clock once last time, she picked up the phone and dialed Mr. Callaway's number.


	4. Chapter 4

**Anybody else like the idea of a cruel, dominating Undertaker? I know I do! ;p **

**Enjoy!**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 4**

Kelly paused outside the door of the hotel room and looked down at the piece of paper in her hand, studying the room number Mr. Callaway had given her. Looking up at the number on the door, she felt her stomach constrict. She couldn't believe she was here. That she was actually going to do this.

She turned back toward the elevator as more doubts entered her mind. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to give in to him. To actually let him touch her like that. But it was the only way for her to save her business. She had no other options.

Turning back toward the door, she took a long, deep breath. Then raising her hand, she knocked softly.

"Please let this be over with quickly!" she whispered under her breath as he opened the door and invited her in.

Mr. Callaway smiled as she walked past him into the room. He had been pleasantly surprised when she had called him earlier that afternoon. He was beginning to think she wasn't going to take him up on his offer. Once she had contacted him, he had given her instructions on when and where to meet him at the hotel, with a warning not to be late. As a punctual business man himself, he was pleased to see that she was there on time.

He closed the door and watched as Kelly walked across the room to the window. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a simple white blouse and her long, blonde hair hung down around her shoulders, framing the beautiful features of her face. He felt his pants already growing tight as he watched her move across the floor. This was going to be a lot of fun!

Walking to the bed, he took a seat as he watched her. She still had her back to him as she continued to stare out the window.

"Did you come here just to admire the view?" he asked her sarcastically after several minutes, when she didn't offer to turn around.

Taking another deep breath, Kelly finally turned to face him.

"If only I could say I did." she mumbled, as she felt herself growing angry again.

"I can't believe that you're forcing me to do this!" she added, as she threw her coat down across one of the chairs.

In a matter of seconds, he was standing directly in front of her, forcing her backwards into the wall.

"Let's get one thing straight right now! I'm not forcing you to do anything! I didn't force you to come here! It was your decision to make! I'm not holding you here against your will! If you don't want to be here, then there's the door!" he said, while pointing toward it. "You're free to leave at any time! Do you understand me?"

Nodding her head, Kelly cringed as he towered over her. What little courage she'd had to begin with was gone. She just wanted to get away from him as fast as she could. But she fought the urge to run away. She'd already come this far. She couldn't turn back now.

"Good. Now that we've come to an understanding, let's get down to business." Mr. Callaway continued, as he took a seat on the edge of the bed again. Kelly stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do next.

"Come here." he instructed, motioning for her to come closer to him.

Hesitantly, Kelly stepped in front of him. God, she hoped this was over with in a hurry!

Closing her eyes, she looked away from him as she stood there, jumping when she heard him speak to her again.

"Strip."

"Excuse me?" Kelly asked, looking at him in astonishment.

"I said strip." he repeated, with a smirk.

Looking toward the door again for a brief moment, she turned back to him and quickly began to unbutton her shirt.

"Slowly." he warned, obviously wanting to prolong her embarrassment.

Glaring at him coldly, she slowly removed her blouse and her jeans. She didn't think she had ever wanted to beat the living hell out of anyone so bad in her life.

_So what are you doing here?, _she thought to herself, as she continued to undress.

Standing before him in nothing but her bra and panties, Kelly tried her best to avoid looking him in the eye. She didn't want to see the way he was gazing at her body. But he wasn't about to make things easy on her. He noticed the deep blush that had spread across her face and he was determined to embarrass her even more.

Standing up he walked towards her slowly and Kelly closed her eyes, holding her breath as she waited for him to touch her.

"Look at me." he instructed, as he stood directly in front of her.

"I said look at me!" he repeated when she failed to obey him.

Reluctantly, Kelly opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"Undress me." he demanded, noticing her eyes widen at the suggestion.

Shaking her head, Kelly took a step back from him. Surely he wasn't serious…

"I really don't appreciate people who waste my time, Ms. Deveraux. If you're not going to cooperate with me, then I suggest you get dressed and leave." he remarked, sensing her reluctance.

Cooperate with him? She was already standing half-naked in the middle of his hotel room! Just how much more cooperation did he expect from her?

It was then that Kelly realized what he intended to do. He hadn't ordered her there just to sleep with him. He wanted to humiliate her, To make her give in to his every demand. And she realized with growing horror that he would keep her there for as long as it took him to do it. She felt herself growing sick again at the thought. This was going to be much worse than she could have ever imagined.

"I'm waiting." he snapped impatiently, when she still didn't offer to move.

Looking at him again, she slowly stepped forward and brought her hands up to the top of his shirt.

Working from the collar downward, she unbuttoned each button with trembling fingers, until she reached the waistband of his pants. Pulling the rest of his shirt free, she loosened the bottom buttons, her skin crawling as she felt his gaze upon her. She could feel him watching her every movement and he was starting to make her extremely nervous.

Trying hard to not to look at his bare chest as she once again raised her hands to the top of his shirt, Kelly gripped it with both hands and pulled it down his huge arms. But as soon as his skin was uncovered, she immediately gasped and staggered backwards.

His arms!

She could only stare at the numerous tattoos that covered both of his large limbs. Looking closer, she noticed he also had more of them across his stomach. Rendered speechless, Kelly could only gaze at them in confusion, as she tried to figure this one out. This was certainly the last thing that she would have expected from a successful businessman like Mr. Callaway.

Amused by her response, he watched her intently.

"What's a matter darlin'?" he chuckled, as he gazed down at her. "You never seen anybody with a tattoo before."

Startled by the sudden change in his voice, Kelly let her gaze wander back to his face. He was suddenly talking to her in a deep southern accent that she had never heard from him before and she was now more confused than ever. Stumbling toward the bed to take a seat, she was quickly stopped as he reached out and grabbed her arm.

"I don't think you're finished yet." he growled at her softly, pulling her back to stand in front of him again.

Almost as if she were in a trance, she reached for the waistband of his pants and unbuttoned them. She pulled down the zipper, then quickly slipped them down his legs and over his feet, removing his shoes and socks along the way. She tossed them into a small pile on the floor, then stood back up in front of him.

Mr. Callaway took a step towards her and Kelly involuntarily turned away from him. She wrapped her arms around her near-naked body and shivered as a chill ran through her, flinching when she felt his fingers trail softly up her arm. He had moved so that he was now standing directly behind her and she could feel the heat that was radiating off of his large frame in waves. She jumped in surprise when she felt his warm breath against her ear.

"What's it going to be, darlin'? Are you gonna stay here and do as I ask or are you gonna walk away from what you care about the most?" he whispered in her ear.

Unable to stop herself, Kelly whirled around to face him, her anger getting the better of her again.

"Look, Mr. Callaway..."

He put his hands up to silence her.

"Call me Mark. After all, if we're gonna get to know each other so well, we should be able to address each other by our first names, right?" he asked with a grin, seeing the anger etched onto her face. He could tell that he was really starting to get to her.

"Fine, Mark!" she replied sarcastically, as she continued to glare at him. "But don't think that just because I'm here, I'm going to enjoy this! I'm only doing this for one reason, and it's certainly not because I want to be close to you!"

Kelly turned and walked across the room, trying to place some distance between them. She was sure if he didn't get this over with soon, housekeeping would find him lying dead in the floor when they got there in the morning. Mark watched her walk away, a huge smile spread across his face.

_We'll just see how much you don't enjoy this!, _he thought to himself with a grin, as he followed her across the floor.

"Now darlin'. Is that anyway to talk to somebody who wants to love you all night long?" he said as he wrapped his arms around her body, feeling her immediately stiffen against him.

Smiling, he brushed her hair off to one side and began to place soft kisses up and down the back of her neck. Kelly closed her eyes and tried to block him out, but she shivered involuntarily when he brushed across a sensitive spot. Mark noticed her reaction and grinned as he continued to tease her there. Finally, she had taken enough and she tried to pull herself away from him. But instead of letting her go, he turned her around to face him. He brought his lips down roughly on top of hers, pushing forward with his tongue when he felt her lips already open. He wound one hand through her long hair to hold her head still, while his free arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly against him.

He continued his brutal onslaught on her mouth, licking and biting softly at her lips, before slipping his tongue forward again to explore her mouth. Through it all, Kelly willed herself to be still, knowing that the less she fought, the sooner it would be over with.

Without breaking the kiss, he leaned down and picked her up, carrying her to the bed. He gently placed her in the middle of the mattress as he crawled on top of her. Finally, breaking the kiss, he began to trail soft kisses down her neck and across her throat and she had to fight the urge to knock him off of her and flee the room. Once again, she closed her eyes and turned away from him, trying her best to pretend that she was somewhere else. That she was somebody else. That it wasn't really her who was letting this man do these things to her.

Mark raised his head to watch her for a moment. He could see that she had her face turned away from him and he knew that she wanted him to hurry up and be finished with her. But he had other plans. He fully intended to take his time with her. Not only that, but he intended to make her enjoy every moment of it!

As he lowered his lips to her neck once more, Mark reached around her and unfastened her bra, slowly removing it from her body and throwing it onto the floor. As he moved one of his large hands to massage her breast, he raised his other hand to Kelly's face and turned her to face him. He brought his lips down on hers in another blinding kiss as he continued to stroke and tease her swollen nipple. He began to attack the sensitive skin of her neck and throat in between kisses and Kelly felt her resistance to him slowly begin to crumble. His breath was so warm against her soft skin and his hands moved so gently over her body that she couldn't help but respond to him. She squirmed beneath him slightly as he continued his sweet torment on her body.

Moving lower, he began a slow path across her shoulder and down her chest until he reached her breast. He teased her slowly, coming close to but never touching her sensitive nipple, smiling to himself as he felt her squirming beneath him. Lapping out quickly with his tongue, he flicked it across one stiff peak and Kelly involuntarily arched upward against him at the contact, instantly feeling a wave of shame wash over her.

"No!" she yelled, pushing against his massive chest with her small fists.

She couldn't believe she was actually enjoying this! She absolutely refused to let herself give into him like this. She pushed at his strong shoulders trying to free herself from beneath him, but Mark held onto her tightly as she struggled against him. He could feel the way she was starting to respond to him and he wasn't about to let her go.

Continuing his assault on her breasts, he teased one, then the other, as he held Kelly firmly in his arms. Slowly, he felt her struggles weaken and soon she was whimpering helplessly beneath him as his lips and hands continued to torment her.

Sliding his hand lower down her body, he buried his fingers beneath the silk of her panties, running his fingers lightly across her wetness, making sure to brush them across her sensitive clit as he did so. Kelly arched against him with each stroke, whimpering at the slowness of his movements.

Lifting himself to his knees, Mark quickly removed the last bit of cloth from her body, then lowered himself down on his stomach, spreading her legs farther apart as he began to lap at her wet center. Crying out with every stroke of his tongue, she began to rock her hips against him, desperately trying to get him to increase the pace. Mark responded by giving her what she wanted, licking and sucking faster and faster until he felt that she was ready to explode. Then right when he felt her ready to go over the edge, he stopped and sat up.

As his movements ceased, she whimpered loudly in protest, opening her eyes to look up at him. He smiled as he gazed down at her, the desperation clearly evident in her eyes. It was time for the fun to begin!

Crawling back up the bed, he laid down beside of her, being careful not to touch her in any way. Kelly followed his every movement in confusion, trying to figure out what he was up to. Why had he stopped pleasing her?

Mark grinned as she gazed at him questioningly.

"What's a matter darlin'? Something botherin' you?" he chuckled.

_What?, _Kelly thought, looking at him in surprise. Surely he wasn't serious. How could he not see what she needed?

He laid beside of her for a long time, quietly watching her, enjoying the look of frustration that was creeping over her, wondering how long it would take to break her completely. Then he leaned over her body and began to kiss her again lightly, his fingers gently caressing her breasts as he ran his hands over her body. Feeling her arch and jerk against him in response to his ministrations, he slowly worked his way down to her soft folds, slipping his fingers inside and teasing her again.

Hearing her moan loudly at his touch, he broke the kiss, moving his lips to her ear to continue the torment there. Still stroking her folds lightly with his fingers, he could feel her grinding upwards against him, trying to establish some type of steady rhythm.

"What do you want darlin'?" he breathed hotly in her ear as he continued to tease her.

Kelly whimpered loudly at his words and turned her head, trying to capture his lips in another kiss. But Mark quickly pulled away and moved back to her ear.

"Tell me darlin'." he whispered. "Tell me what you want."

She squirmed against him, the ache between her legs growing stronger. Finally giving in she cried out for him.

"I want you Mark." she panted softly. "Please... I need you!"

That was all he needed to hear. He grinned as he rolled off of the bed and quickly removed his boxers. Then climbing back onto the mattress, he eased himself over her and positioned himself at her entrance. He paused for a moment and looked back down at her.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked her again, leaning down to flick his tongue across her nipples once more.

"Yes!" she whimpered as she arched against him. "Please, Mark!"

Smiling at her response, he began to push forward, easing in and out of her slowly until he was fully sheathed within her. He began to move in a slow, steady rhythm and he groaned when he felt Kelly's hands travel up his arms and around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her again. She kissed him frantically, trying desperately to make him understand her need. As she felt him begin to move faster, she wrapped her long legs around his waist to hold him there, afraid that he might try to stop again.

"More..please...more!" she cried, trying desperately to meet his movements.

Feeling the last of his control slip away, he began to thrust inside of her roughly as she wrapped her legs tighter around his waist. Suddenly, he felt her tense beneath him and she arched against him violently, screaming his name as her climax overtook her. Unable to hold back any longer, he quickly followed her over the edge. He collapsed on top of her, completely spent, as he tried to regain his senses.

After a while, he felt Kelly stir beneath him and he rolled to his side, gathering her to his chest. He smiled as he looked down at her. Things had gone even better than he had planned. He was surprised at how easily he had controlled her. He watched as she slowly opened her eyes and turned to face him.

"That's one of the best business deals I've made in a long time. I knew the first time that I saw you that you would be good in bed." he said with a smirk.

To Kelly, his words were like a hard slap in the face, as she realized exactly what she had done.

"You bastard!" she yelled, as she shoved him away from her.

She quickly climbed out of the bed and grabbed her clothes, running to the bathroom to get dressed. Mark propped himself up in the bed and waited for her to come out.

A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom and Mark could see that her eyes were swollen and red from crying. She crossed the room to grab her coat from the chair, and she whirled around to face Mark as she put it on.

"I hope you're happy now!" she screamed at him from across the room. "You just better make damn sure that you keep your end of the bargain!"

Mark crawled out from under the covers and stood up. Kelly immediately noticed that he was still naked and she turned her back to him as he approached her.

"Don't worry darlin'." he replied, as he rubbed her arms. "I promise I'll hold up my end of the deal. You just go home and get some rest and I'll call you in a few days."

Kelly pulled herself away from him and turned to face him. "Don't you dare even think about calling me! I don't ever want to hear from you again!"

Mark grinned down at her evilly.

"I'm afraid that's not possible darlin'. If I don't call you then how are you going to keep up your end of the bargain?"

Kelly looked up at him in astonishment.

"What the hell are you talking about? In case you didn't notice, I just took care of my end of the bargain! I don't intend to ever let you touch me again!"

Mark chuckled softly as he watched her.

"What the hell is so damned funny?" she asked, her temper finally reaching the breaking point.

Mark stared at her silently for a moment.

"Apparently, you misunderstood my offer. I never said that this was a one time thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were six months behind with your payments, right? And you do have a new payment due every month, right? That's an awful lot of money for you to think you're going to pay it all back in one night. Don't get me wrong darlin', it was very good. But it wasn't that good. You've still got a few more payments left to work off."

Kelly had finally had enough. She hauled off and slapped him as hard as she could, causing Mark to stagger backwards. Then she quickly headed to the door and stumbled into the hallway. She pushed to buttons to the elevator, keeping a close eye on the door to Mark's room while she waited for the car, half-expecting him to come after her.

Once she was safely hidden inside the elevator, she collapsed against the door and began to cry, wondering how she was going to find a way out of the sudden predicament she'd found herself in.

Inside the room, Mark stared at the door debating whether or not to go after her. The look of hurt and shock on her face had bothered him for some reason. He hadn't meant to sound so cruel and thoughtless. He had thoroughly enjoyed tonight and he was looking forward to being with her again soon. But now he wondered if she would still be willing to cooperate with him after the things he had said.

Looking back at the bed, he quickly shrugged off his feelings of guilt. This was simply a business arrangement, nothing more. If she wasn't willing to cooperate with him, he would simply have to find someway to change her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next morning, Kelly pulled herself from her bed and stumbled to the bathroom to get ready for work. She glanced in the mirror and noticed her eyes were puffy and swollen from all the crying she had done the night before. She still couldn't believe she had actually gone through with it. Not only had she agreed to sleep with Mark to keep her business alive, but she had actually enjoyed it! She didn't think she had ever felt as shameful and embarrassed as she had last night. And now that she was aware of Mark's true intentions, she knew that things could only get worse.

She had talked herself into accepting his offer only because she thought it was a one time deal. Now that she knew different, she didn't know what she was going to do. If she wanted to keep her business going, she knew that she would have to jump at his every command. She would have to make herself available to him whenever he called. He owned her now and that thought alone was enough to make her sick.

Kelly pulled herself away from the mirror and tried to clean herself up, so George wouldn't suspect anything. She knew he would be there waiting for her this morning, as he always did. She had mentioned to him yesterday as she was leaving, that she had a possible lead on a way to keep the stables open and that he should meet her there this morning in case everything worked out. She quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, then headed back into her room to get dressed.

As she climbed into her truck and headed out, she tried to think of something to tell George that would ease his curiosity. She knew that he would want to know where the money had come from. There was no way she would ever tell him the real reason her business had been saved. She wouldn't be able to handle his disappoint in her.

She grinned slightly when she pulled into the parking lot and saw George pacing back and forth in front of his truck waiting on her. He barely let her get parked before he came rushing toward her window. She quickly slipped on a pair of sunglasses so he wouldn't see her red eyes, then she plastered a fake smile onto her face and rolled down the window to talk to him.

"It's time to get busy George. We have work to do." she said, before he had a chance to ask her anything.

"I guess that means we have to finish packin' today?" he asked solemnly, hanging his head.

"It means we have a stable to run George. Now get to work!" Kelly replied, her smile turning genuine when she saw the happy expression on his face.

"But..how..where did you.?" George stuttered, not able to believe her last minute efforts had paid off.

"Actually, an acquaintance of mine agreed to help me out." she lied. "He heard about my predicament and he called me and said he wanted to help me out. He agreed to lend me the money to get this place out of debt."

"Thank goodness! I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't have this place to keep me busy. I'll go on inside and get to work. Don't you worry none, Miss Kelly. I'll take care of everything that needs to be done." George said, turning toward the barn.

He took a few steps before turning back to look at Kelly again.

"You make sure you bring that friend of yours by here some time. I want to personally thank him for saving you from that Mr. Callaway jerk. Maybe he could teach that man a lesson or two while he's here!" George shouted at her before disappearing into the barn.

"Trust me George, you don't want to meet him." Kelly mumbled to herself, as she climbed out of her truck.

She couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm, but her smile quickly faded when she thought of Mark again. She hated lying to George after all he had done to help her, but she couldn't let him know the truth. She just hoped that Mark would be willing to keep their arrangement a secret as well.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

One day passed. Then two. Then three.

The days turned into weeks and Kelly was surprised that Mark still hadn't called her. She was constantly on edge because she knew that eventually she would hear from him and he would expect her to meet him again. Every time the phone rang, every time someone walked into the barn, her heart filled with dread, only to ease again when she realized it wasn't him. She was amazed that he had waited so long to contact her. After their last conversation, she was sure that he would be a constant source of aggravation.

As the days wore on, she felt herself starting to get angry at him for not calling her. It was almost as if he wanted to let her worry about it for a while, like a parent who wanted to draw out their child's punishment by making them think about it before they actually received it. The more time that passed, the more certain Kelly was that he was doing it on purpose to torment her. But that wasn't the only reason for her anger. As much as she hated the man, she couldn't deny the feelings that he had stirred within her that first night. He was such a strong and passionate man and as hard as she had tried, he had broken down all of her defenses and left her helpless to resist him. At times she would catch herself thinking about his touch, the way he kissed her, the way he held her, the way he felt buried deep inside of her. And each time she caught herself, she felt another wave of shame wash over her. The man had tried his best to humiliate her in every way possible and she had allowed him to do it. And he had made her enjoy it. She could only imagine what was in store for her during their next encounter.

As she finished another long day at the stables, Kelly gathered her things and climbed into her truck to head for home. She stopped in town and grabbed some food to take home with her. Once she was inside her apartment, she sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels as she ate. When she was done, she headed to the bathroom to take a hot bath. She was exhausted and all she wanted was to relax for a little while before heading to bed. She climbed into the tub and closed her eyes and once again, images of Mark began to cloud her mind. She quickly pushed the thoughts aside.

"I absolutely will not think of him anymore!" she stated out loud as she sat up and washed off.

She remained in the tub until the water started to turn cold, then she pulled herself out and dried off. She slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top, then brushed out her hair, pulling it back in a pony tail. Then she headed back into her bedroom, prepared to climb into her bed and go to sleep.

But just as she reached to turn off the light, she heard a knock at the door. She quickly turned the light out and remained perfectly still, hoping that whoever was there would leave. She wasn't up to receiving visitors on this night. But whoever was there wasn't about to give up. As the pounding continued, Kelly became concerned that maybe someone needed help. She quickly climbed out of the bed and headed to the door to see if something was wrong. She unhooked the chain and turned the knob, jerking the door open before she even looked to see who it was. She froze in her tracks when she found herself looking up into Mark's smiling face.

Mark realized that he had completely taken her by surprise and as she continued to stare at him, he took the opportunity to step by her and enter her apartment. Finally composing herself, Kelly whirled around to face him.

"What the hell are you doing here? Who do you think you are to come barging into my home at this hour of the night? I want you out of here!" she shouted, while she continued to hold the door open.

Mark looked at her and smiled, before walking towards her. For a brief moment, Kelly thought that he intended to leave. But instead of walking back out the door, he pulled it from her hand and closed it, locking it in place. Then he turned to face her again. she took a step backwards, wanting to distance herself from him.

"Get out!" she repeated with a little less confidence, while pointing toward the door. But deep down, she already knew that he had no intentions of leaving just yet. He stalked towards her slowly, and Kelly continued to back away from him until she felt the wall against her back.

"What are you doing here?" she said softly, her voice threatening to fail her.

Mark leaned closer toward her, the hair on his face brushing lightly across her check as he brought his lips to her ear.

"I've come to claim my next payment." he said softly, moments before his lips closed over her earlobe.

Kelly shuddered involuntarily as she felt his warm breath caressing her skin. She felt him reach out and trace the shell of her ear with his tongue, before taking the skin between his teeth and biting gently. His lips left her ear and moved slowly down her jawline until he reached her lips. He kissed her passionately, almost forcefully, as his tongue invaded her mouth. Kelly felt her knees growing weak as he continued his assault on her senses. Realizing that she was dangerously close to giving in to him again, she pushed him away from her.

"Stop it! Let go of me!"

Keeping her hands out in front of her to hold him at bay, she glared up at him.

"You can't just waltz in here anytime you feel like it and expect me to give you a quick roll in the hay! Regardless of what you might think, I do have a life of my own. For all you know, I could already have someone in my bed just waiting for me to come back!"

"But I know for a fact that your bed is empty, at least for the time being." Mark replied, with a cocky grin.

"How can you be so sure?" Kelly replied, pausing for a moment before the realization hit her.

"You son of a bitch! You've been following me! How dare you spy on me like that?"

"Get away from me!" she yelled, as he moved towards her again. She quickly shoved past him and headed toward the phone. She picked up the receiver and turned to look at him again.

"I'm going to say this one last time! Get out now! Otherwise, I'm going to call the police and let them take care of you!"

"Now darlin'." Mark replied calmly as he slowly approached her. "Calm down. It's bad for your health to get all worked up like that. Why don't you just put the phone down and come over here and let me relieve some of that tension for you."

Kelly stared at him in disbelief. Here she was threatening to call the police on him and he was acting like nothing was wrong. She couldn't believe that one man could possibly be that arrogant. She turned toward the phone again and reached down to dial the number. Noticing that she was distracted, Mark quickly crossed the distance between them and jerked the phone from her hands. He slammed the it back down and in one quick movement he picked Kelly up in his arms and headed to her bedroom.

"Put me down!" Kelly shrieked, as she tried to squirm free of his grasp.

But Mark was too strong and he held her tightly against him until he reached the bed. Dropping her none to gently in the middle of the bed, he quickly climbed on top of her and pinned her there. Kelly opened her mouth to scream, but Mark quickly silenced her with another passionate kiss.

Mark tried not to be too forceful with her. The last thing he wanted to do was to physically hurt her. He was sure that Kelly probably assumed that he was going to rape her, but that couldn't have been any further from his true intentions. He wanted her, but he wanted to make her plead and beg for him to take her again. He wanted to feel her squirming beneath him in pleasure. He wanted to her hear say his name over and over again as she came. He wanted her to want him.

He felt Kelly struggling beneath him and it brought his attention back to the task at hand. Breaking the kiss, he once again attacked her ear, sucking and biting gently on the sensitive skin. He trailed a soft path down her neck with the tip of his tongue, until he reached her throat. He nibbled and sucked on her throat, before moving up her chin and claiming her lips again. He felt her struggles begin to weaken as he moved to her other ear and began to tease it as well. He once again left a wet trail from her ear to her throat, this time moving even lower until he reached the top of her shirt.

Kelly trembled beneath him. No matter how hard she tried to block him out, she couldn't deny the sensations that he was creating within her. She felt herself already giving in to him. She gasped when she felt him pull the front of her shirt down and close his lips around her already hardened nipple. He flicked his tongue back and forth across it lightly before biting and tugging gently with his teeth. She couldn't help but arch upward against him when she felt his hand slide underneath her shirt and cup her other breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers. After several long minutes, Mark pulled away from her and removed her shirt before leaning back down to attack her breasts again.

By this time Kelly was completely senseless. Unable to fight him, she could only lie beneath him and feel what he was doing to her. She moaned with anticipation when she felt his hand traveling lower down her body. She remembered all too well what he could do with those hands. He slipped his hand beneath the material of her shorts and traced his fingers lightly across her wet folds, making sure to tease her most sensitive areas. Kelly bucked against his hand, trying to encourage him to increase the friction. But he refused to let her affect his movements. He continued to tease her until she was whimpering helplessly beneath him. He sat up and pulled himself from the bed long enough to undress, then helped Kelly out of her remaining clothes before lying down over top of her again.

He resumed his brutal attack on her senses, kissing her over and over again until she was breathless. He began to slowly work his way down her body again, teasing her with his lips and fingers until he came to her wet center. Spreading her thighs apart even further, he held her open with his fingers as he began to caress her with his tongue. He found her swollen jewel hidden in the top of her folds and he teased her mercilessly until he felt her body tensing beneath him. Then he pulled away and began to nibble on her inner thigh as he let her cool down. After a few minutes, he returned his attention to her sensitive clit, teasing her once again until she reached the breaking point, before pulling away. He repeated the process several times, ignoring the pleas and moans that were coming from her lips. Bringing her to the edge once again, he pulled away from her and climbed back up her body, positioning himself at her entrance.

Leaning down he nuzzled her neck gently as his hands brushed across her nipples again. Raising up over her again, he looked down at her and smiled. Her head was turned away from him and her eyes were closed. He watched her chest rise and fall with her labored breathing, proud to know that he could stir such a response in her.

"Look at me darlin'" he said softly, while hooking a finger under her chin and turning her to face him. "Open your eyes."

Kelly opened her eyes and they immediately locked on his emerald green ones. She was helpless to turn her gaze away. Mark stared deep into her eyes, smiling again at the passion and lust that he saw there. He loved having this kind of control over her.

Kelly squirmed uncomfortably beneath him, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Please." she whimpered softly. "Please Mark."

"What is it darlin'? You need something?" he chuckled softly, as he rubbed his hardness against her wet folds. "You want me to keep goin'?"

"Yes...please." she replied between moans as he continued to rub against her.

Smiling, Mark began to ease himself into her. He pushed forward until he was completely buried inside of her, then he stilled himself. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as he rolled onto his back. Kelly straddled his hips, still impaled on his hardness as he kissed her again. She moaned against his lips, feeling him twitching and throbbing inside of her. Breaking the kiss, Mark released his arms from her body.

"Show me what you want darlin'" he breathed as he stared into her eyes again. "Show me how much you want me."

Kelly raised herself up and placing her hands on his chest for support, she began to ride him slowly. Mark forced himself to remain still. This time he was going to let her be in control. He groaned as he felt her move faster on him. Her cries were getting louder and more frantic and he knew she was getting close to her release. He raised his hands to her breasts, teasing her nipples as she rode him even harder. The sensations were more than she could take and his eyes never left her face as he watched her throw her head back and cry out. He felt her tighten around him and begin to spasm as her orgasm washed over her.

After several seconds, she collapsed onto his chest, completely exhausted. But Mark wasn't finished with her yet. He grabbed her hips to hold her in place against him and he began to thrust in and out of her, quickly increasing the pace. He closed his eyes and trying to calm the fire raging inside of him. He wanted to feel her cum for him one more time. Holding her close to him, he flipped her onto her back once again. He rose up on his knees and grabbed her hips tightly in his hands as he thrust inside of her roughly. Her moans began to increase in volume and he knew she was close to losing it again. Removing one of his hands from her hips, he placed it between her legs and began to stroke her swollen bud. Within seconds, she was arching against his hand, shrieking loudly as another orgasm overtook her. This time Mark let himself go and after a few more thrusts he came hard inside of her.

As the pleasure subsided, Mark leaned down over her again, being careful to support his weight on his elbows. He noticed that she was crying softly, the tears running silently down her cheeks. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed them away, his lips brushing gently against her warm skin. Kelly opened her mouth as if to speak to him and he kissed her softly to silence her. Too exhausted to fight any more, she didn't resist. He laid there with her quietly for a long time, holding her and kissing her until she fell asleep. Then he eased himself off of her and pulled himself from her bed. He quickly got dressed, then leaning over and giving her one last kiss on the forehead, he left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks again for all the review! I'm glad to see there are several people who haven't read this before! :-)**

**Chapter 6**

Kelly woke the next morning to the sound of the alarm clock blaring in her ear. As she rolled over to turn it off, she moaned loudly when she felt the soreness trickling through her body. As thoughts of the previous night drifted into her mind, she sat up and looked around, expecting to see Mark lying in the bed beside of her. She saw that she was alone in her room and as she rubbed her hand over the mattress, she could feel that it was cold. She realized that he must have left earlier in the night, after she had fallen asleep.

Immediately, anger coursed through her. She couldn't believe that she had let him use her like that again! He had pushed his way into her apartment, had sex with her and then left in the middle of the night while she was asleep. And worst of all was that she had enjoyed it. Again. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't deny the way he made her feel. No man had ever stirred that kind of passion within her before. Embarrassment washed over her when she remembered how wantonly she had behaved.

_He must think I'm some kind of cheap whore!_, she thought to herself.

_That's exactly what you are_, she responded, as the thought crossed her mind. _You sold yourself to him in exchange for money. Why pretend your anything else?  
_  
The depth of her shame threatened to drown her. She couldn't let him do this to her anymore. She absolutely would not give the man the satisfaction of using her again.

Jumping from the bed, she rushed to the bathroom to get ready. She quickly showered and dressed, then headed out the door to her truck. As she sped down the highway, Kelly actually found herself smiling. Today would be the beginning of a new life. She was going to find some way to get out of Mark's control if it was the last thing she ever did.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Once Kelly arrived at the stables, she helped George feed and water the horses, then she headed to her office. She spent the morning on the phone with some of her business acquaintances and old school professors. She informed them of her situation and brainstormed with them on ways she could get her business going again. By lunch time, George came looking for her. It wasn't like her to spend so much time cooped up in her office and he was concerned that something was wrong. He found the door to her office open and when he peeked inside, he noticed her pacing back and forth across the floor with pen and paper in hand. He continued to watch her for several minutes before he finally spoke to her.

"You're gonna wear a hole in that floor if you don't stop that pacing." he chuckled.

Kelly jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Oh George! You startled me! I didn't realize you were standing there!"

"I reckon the damn President could've been standin' here and you wouldn't have noticed him. What are you lookin at that's got you so fascinated?" George asked.

"I'm trying to figure out a way to come up with some money." Kelly replied absentmindedly, looking back down at the paper she was holding.

"What for? I thought that friend of yours gave you the money that you needed?"

"He did." Kelly lied, choosing her words carefully so she didn't reveal any unnecessary details. "But I still have to pay him back. And I've got to come up with some way to increase our business. Otherwise, I'm just going to find myself in the same situation again down the road."

_Like hell I will_, she thought to herself, again reminded of the deal she'd been forced to make with Mark.

George nodded his head in agreement.

"Well, have you got any ideas yet?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, I think I do. Of course our options are kind of limited." Kelly replied. "But…what do you think about having a horse show?"

"A horse show? Here?" he asked.

"Yes. We could hold it here. We have plenty of extra room for parking and we have plenty of empty stalls for some of the horses. The show rings are big enough to use too. We can advertise it in all of the surrounding counties and hopefully draw a big crowd. Of course, we'll charge an entry fee for each class the participants want to enter in and I will charge for boarding and feeding the horses if people want to keep their animals here for the weekend. We'll also charge admission to the show. Maybe even hold some raffles. I'll let some of my students put on a little demonstration and I'll get some of the owners of the horses that I've trained to come and show them too. Maybe if I get a chance to show off some of my work, it will help me recruit some new business."

"Sounds like a plan to me. How soon did you plan on having this show?"

"As soon as possible." Kelly said, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Mark came for her again. "Do you think we could have everything ready by the end of the month?"

"The end of the month? That doesn't give us a lot of time. Are you sure you can get everything ready by then?" George replied.

"It will take a lot of work. But I think that we can do it." Kelly answered.

George shrugged. "Well, let's make out a list of everything that needs to be done and we'll get started."

Kelly nodded her head and smiled. Hopefully, this would be the opportunity she needed to finally get back on her feet.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The duo worked themselves hard around the barn, trying to get everything ready for the big event. They cleaned the barn and painted various sections to freshen it up a bit. George made sure that all of the fences were mended and the surrounding grounds were free of trash. Kelly cleaned out all of the empty stalls and prepared them for the visiting horses. She wanted the barn to be spotless in order to impress any potential customers.

She printed up a bunch of flyers and posted them in every store window she could find, hoping to draw a huge crowd. She even rented some space to a few of the local farm dealerships, who would be on hand to sale their supplies during the show and sold advertisement banners to others who wouldn't be on hand. Implementing every strategy that she could think of that might earn her a few extra dollars, she just prayed that her hard work would eventually pay off and her plan would work. She couldn't let Mark continue to take advantage of her anymore.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The day of the show came and went, and Kelly was exhausted but ecstatic. The weekend had passed by without a hitch and thankfully, it had been a huge success. The stables had been packed and she had managed to rent out every stall in the barn. There had been hundreds of participants who had entered the show, and she'd had George shamelessly pass out flyers detailing her services and rates during the entire event, which had generated several potential new customers. She'd done better than she could have ever thought possible. Even after paying for the ribbons, trophies and the hay and feed needed to care for the extra horses, she'd made enough money to catch up on her mortgage payments. She couldn't wait to get to the bank on Monday to throw the check in Mark's face. She smiled when she thought about how shocked he was going to be. Now if she could only keep things moving in the right direction, she would be the one to stay in control.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

First thing on Monday morning, Kelly was at the bank, check in hand. She was more than ready to settle her debt with Mark.

At first she had been a little frightened about confronting him. She knew that he had probably not counted on her coming up with the money to pay off her debts and she was sure that he would be upset. But the more she thought about him, the angrier she got. He hadn't bothered to contact her at all since the night he had come barging into her apartment and slept with her. And his arrogant attitude drove her completely up the wall. After thinking it over for a while, she finally decided that it was her turn to have some fun at his expense.

She was dressed in the tightest pair of jeans that she had, that showed off every curve of her slim body. She also wore a low cut knit top that accentuated her ample breasts. Her blonde hair was pulled loosely up on the top of her head and held there by a large clip. A few loose strands were still hanging loose about her face, giving it a slightly wind-blown look. She couldn't help but notice the stares that she received from the men as she walked into the bank and up to the teller's window. Kelly smiled to herself. This time, she was here with a purpose and she carried her head high. She wouldn't allow them to intimidate her today.

She grinned as the same snooty teller approached her and looked down at her again through her thick glasses.

"Can I help you?" she said with a slight smirk.

Kelly grinned. "Yes. I want to speak with Mr. Callaway." she said calmly.

"Just have a seat over there and I'll see if he's available." the woman replied coldly.

"No. You tell Mr. Callaway that he can drop whatever he's doing and talk with me now. Tell him that I have something for him." Kelly stated a little more forcefully.

The teller stared at her for a brief moment, before heading off in the direction of Mr. Callaway's secretary. Within minutes, his secretary was leading her into his office.

Kelly tried to maintain her composure as she entered his office. She knew she would have to keep her emotions in check if this was going to work. She saw Mark look up at her and grin as she entered the room and she forced herself to return his smile. She waited until the secretary left the room, then she reached over and locked the door.

Mark stood from his chair and walked around to the front of his desk, leaning against it and folding his arms across his chest. She watched his smile get even larger as his eyes traveled over her body. Obviously he approved of her choice of clothing. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke to her.

"I understand you have something for me." he said softly, licking his lips in anticipation.

Kelly took a deep breath and plastered another fake smile on her face before she approached him. She walked towards him slowly, stopping when she was standing directly in front of him. She reached up and pulled the clip loose from her head, letting her hair spill down around her shoulders.

"I do have something for you Mark." she replied, as she ran her hands slowly up his chest, making sure to rub across his sensitive nipples. "I can't stop thinking about you. I need you again so bad." she whispered softly, as her fingers quickly unfastened the buttons on his shirt.

Once his bare chest was in view, she began to run her hands over it again, before replacing them with her lips. She brushed her thumbs across his nipples, teasing them before she nipped at them with her teeth. Mark closed his eyes and moaned loudly, entwining his fingers in her hair. Kelly left a wet trail up the middle of his chest to his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her height so she could kiss him. She licked his lips and nibbled them lightly before pressing forward with her tongue. He willingly parted his lips to let her in and she began to eagerly explore his mouth, all the while grinding herself against his growing erection. She drew his tongue back into her mouth and began to suck on it gently, causing Mark to groan loudly in response. He could already imagine what it would feel like to have her suck like that on some other part of his body.

Smiling, Kelly broke the kiss and moved to his ear, biting and sucking gently as she whispered to him.

"I want you so bad. I've been waiting for you to call me again. I need you Mark" she said, as her hand wandered to the front of his pants and began to stroke his throbbing member through the material.

Mark closed his eyes, trying to retain his control. She had never touched him like this before and she was driving him crazy. He fought the urge to rip both of their clothes off and throw her to the floor. Opening his eyes again, he looked down at her and smiled.

"I knew you would see things my way eventually." he said between moans, as she continued to caress him. "Now isn't this so much easier than me having to chase you down?"

Kelly returned his smile.

"So much better." she whispered softly, before claiming his lips in another kiss.

She began to suck on his tongue again, teasing him in rhythm to the stroking of her hand. Mark groaned even louder. He knew if she kept this up much longer, he would come all over himself. Kelly smiled to herself as she felt him losing control. Breaking the kiss once more, she traveled back to his ear and sucked the lobe into her mouth before biting it gently.

"I have something for you Mark." she whispered.

Mark smiled. "Give it to me darlin'. I'm ready for it."

Kelly quickly pulled the check from her pocket and took a step back from him.

"Here you arrogant son of a bitch!" she screamed as she threw it on his desk. "Here's every penny of the money that I owe you. Now we're even. I hope to hell that you enjoy it because it will be the last damn payment that you ever receive from me!"

With that said, Kelly turned and stormed out of his office, leaving a stunned Mark to stare at the empty doorway.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kelly left the bank in a hurry, with a noticeable spring in her step. Once she was outside, she couldn't help but laugh out loud when she recalled the look on Mark's face. She was proud of herself for finally standing up to him. Climbing into her truck, she headed back to the stables, turning up the radio and singing with the music along the way. This was definitely going to be a very good day!

Inside the bank, Mark tried to adjust his now painfully swollen erection in his pants as he picked the check up and looked at it. He didn't know how she had pulled it off, but sure enough, there was enough money there to get her completely out of his debt. He tried to calm the fire raging within him as he walked around to his chair and took a seat. Looking toward the empty doorway one more time, he glanced down at his papers and went back to work, a small grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly was still all smiles when she returned to the barn. George heard her pull up and he went inside to meet her.

"Looks like things went well for you!" he said, when he saw her enter the barn.

"Yes! Oh, George, it feels so good to have finally paid the mortgage up!" she replied, as she grabbed him and began to dance around him. If only she could tell him the real reason she was so happy.

"He...my friend...was so surprised! He couldn't believe that I was actually able to pay him back in full!"

George smiled at her enthusiasm. "Good! Now that you've gotten things back on track, maybe that Mr. Calloway fella will finally leave you alone and quit comin' around here to bug you!"

"Yes! Thank goodness George! He is finally out from under my skin for good!" she laughed.

"Well, I think this calls for a celebration! How about if I ride into town and pick us up a little something for lunch. My treat!" George said.

"Okay! Just hurry back! I'm starved!" she replied, still laughing as he pulled away.

Kelly watched George leave, then headed toward her office. She checked her messages and returned a couple of phone calls before heading back out into the barn to check on the horses. As she left her office, she turned to close the door and froze in her tracks when she heard a voice speak to her.

"Well, hello dear."

Kelly whirled around, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

"Mom?"

_Oh God!_, Kelly thought to herself. _My mother is standing here in the middle of a barn. This can't be good!_

"What are you doing here?" she asked, hesitantly taking a step closer to her mother.

"I was hoping to come here and find this horrible place closed down." she replied, while waving her hand in front of her nose. "How on earth do you stand this awful smell?"

"Mom, don't start. You know how important this place is to me."

"Yes, dear. You've made that very clear to me on more than one occasion. Although I couldn't possibly imagine why." her mother replied, while wrinkling her nose.

"Anyway, the last time I spoke with you, this place was on the verge of being shut down. So why is it still open?"

"I had a friend who was willing to help me out. He wanted to see me succeed and he thought I deserved a second chance to try and make it work." Kelly lied. There was no way in hell her mother would ever know that truth about what she had done.

"Which is a lot more than I can say for my own family." she added, sarcastically.

"Darling, we've been through this before. I told you I'm not giving you one cent to put into this place. I will not help you run yourself into the ground." her mother replied.

"Did you actually come all the way out her just to lend me your wonderful moral support?" Kelly asked, her patience quickly wearing thin. "Because if you did, I think I've heard enough."

"I came here to visit with my daughter. Is that too much to ask from you?"

"Really. And just what exactly did you expect us to discuss while you're here? Because last time I checked, we didn't have anything in common to talk about!"

"Well, I thought maybe I could take you out to lunch and we could discuss your future."

"My future?" Kelly repeated. "This is my future Mom! Look around you! This is it! This is what I want to do! Why can't you just accept that?"

"Why do have to be so stubborn? You're just like your father! Don't you realize what kind of opportunities that you're throwing away? This is your life that we're talking about!" her mother shot back.

Kelly let out a deep breath and rolled her eyes. She didn't know what she had to do to get it through her mother's head that this was where she wanted to be.

"You have the opportunity to attend the finest medical schools in the world." her mother continued. "You're brilliant, you're a quick learner, and you're a very hard worker. You have the talent to become an incredible doctor. How can you let an opportunity like that pass you by? Don't you realize how much money you could make? How popular you could be? Just look at your father. There's not another doctor in this country who hasn't heard of him before. Wouldn't you like to have that kind of notoriety and wealth? You could have so much more than what you have now. Why can't you see that?"

"Okay, Mom! That's it! You just don't get it, do you?" Kelly shot back. "I'm not interested in how much money I can make or how many people I can impress. I'm interested in being happy. Happy with who I am. Happy with what I have. And being here in this barn, with these animals makes me happy. And as far as Daddy and all of his snobby, obnoxious friends, I would choose these horses over them any day. They have much more personality. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do!"

With that said, Kelly turned and stormed back to her office, without even casting her mother a second glance.

Staring at her in shock as she stormed off, her mother finally regaining her composure and, giving a loud huff, stalked off in the opposite direction. As she rounded the corner of the barn, she ran directly into a huge man who was leaning up against the wall. Looking up at him in surprise, her frown deepened when she saw him give her an evil-looking scowl. She quickly shoved herself away from him and without even so much as casting an apology in his direction, she headed toward her car.

Mark watched the woman climb into her vehicle and drive away. He shook his head in disbelief as he rounded the corner of the barn and searched for Kelly. When he didn't see any sign of her, he headed toward the one place he knew she would be. Quietly creeping up to the door of her office, he paused when he heard her sobbing inside. Staring indecisively at the closed doorway for several long moments, he finally backed away, then exited the structure as silently as he had entered it.

When George returned a few minutes later with their lunch, he found Kelly alone in her office, her eyes red from all of her tears.

"What's a matter darlin'?" he asked softly, as he approached her.

Kelly shook her head as she tried to dry her eyes.

"Has that Callaway fellow been out here botherin you again?" George asked her. "Damn him! I thought I passed him comin' from this way when I was drivin' back out here."

"No George." Kelly replied softly. "Mr. Callaway hasn't been here. But unfortunately my mother was."

"Your mother?" he asked. "What did she do to get you so upset?"

"You've never had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting my mother, have you George?"

"No ma'am. Can't say as I have? Is she really all that bad?" George replied.

"She's worse." Kelly replied, smiling through her tears.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and took her food from George. She ate her lunch as she told George about the argument she had with her mother. George listened to her intently, finding it hard to believe that a mother could be so cruel to her only child.

"You just can't catch a break, can you girl?" he replied with a smile. "If it's not Mr. Callaway, then it's your 'ol battle ax of a mother. Maybe we should just fix 'em up together. I think they would make an awfully nice couple."

Kelly broke into a huge smile at the thought. She was sure they would kill each other within the first five minutes they were together. Mark was too strong-headed to deal with someone like her mother for very long. She remembered all too well how demanding he could be. As she thought about him, she recalled George's earlier comment about him.

"George? Did you say you passed Mr. Callaway on your way back out here?"

"Well, I was pretty sure that it was him. Looked like that fancy truck of his that he drives. But if he wasn't here pesterin' you, then I'm not so sure it was him. Could've been somebody else."

"Maybe so." Kelly replied softly. But deep down, something told her it was him, and she felt that uncomfortable knot begin to form in the pit of her stomach again.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

That afternoon, Kelly taught a couple of riding classes, then helped George take care of the horses before heading home. She took a quick shower, slipped on some comfortable clothes, then plopped down on her couch with a microwave dinner in her hand. She flipped through the channels and found an interesting movie to watch while she ate. But instead of concentrating on the movie, her gaze kept traveling to the door. She finally caught herself and realized in frustration that she was waiting for Mark to come knocking at her door again.

"Stop it!" she muttered to herself. "I can't believe you still expect him to show up here after everything that's happened!"

Feeling exhausted, she finally turned off the TV and headed to bed. She climbed into her large bed and pulled the covers up over her. As she snuggled into the mattress, she caught a whiff of Mark's scent on the pillow and her thoughts immediately wandered back to the night he stormed into her apartment and made love to her in her own bed. Something about him had been different that night, although she couldn't quite place what it was.

_Maybe he was just being more arrogant than usual_, she thought to herself with a smirk, remembering with shame, how she had awakened the next morning only to find him gone. Rolling over, she tried to push the confusing thoughts to the back of her mind and slowly she drifted off to a troublesome sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A noise woke Kelly from her sleep and as she opened her eyes, she immediately spotted her faceless lover standing in the shadows of her room. She rolled onto her back and reached out for him, knowing that he would come to her and keep her safe. It had been too many nights since he had last visited her and she longed to feel his arms around her again

The large man moved toward her, his face still hidden by the shadows. Kelly smiled at him seductively. Even without a name or a face, he could still satisfy her darkest desires. She reached for him again as she watched him raise his large hands and begin to unbutton his shirt. He moved slowly, teasing her with a glimpse of his glorious skin. Kelly moaned softly in anticipation, knowing all too well what was hidden beneath his clothes. The man finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it from his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

Kelly gasped and stared at him wide-eyed. Even though she had yet to see his face, her mystery man was no longer a mystery. The tattoos that covered his arms and stomach gave him away.

"Mark?" she whispered softly, right before the vision disappeared.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly bolted upright in her bed. Realizing what she had just dreamed, she jumped from the bed and rushed to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to wake herself.

"No. No. This is not happening. I did not just have a dream about Mark." she argued with herself, as she began to pace the floor. "It was just because of what happened yesterday. I was excited about finally getting him off my back and I just had him on my mind when I went to sleep and that's the only reason I was dreaming about him."

Frantically, she paced the floor, mumbling to herself until she finally convinced herself that she was right. Heading back to the bedroom, she glanced at the clock and realized that it was almost time for her to get up anyway, so she got herself dressed and headed out for another long day of work. She smiled when she pulled into the parking lot and saw that George had still beaten her there, even though she was almost thirty minutes early.

"Good morning, George." she said, when she entered the barn and saw him already hard at work.

"Mornin, Miss Kelly." George looked down at his watch, then looked back up at her again. "A little early this mornin' aren't ya?"

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to get on up and come in early. I figured there would be something here I could do to keep myself busy."

George nodded as Kelly walked past him and headed to her office. She sat down at her desk and began to straighten the papers that were piled on top. She couldn't help but smile as she sorted through all of the forms. She had already gained a few new customers in the days since the horse show, and she anticipated several more would call her before long. With summer vacation coming up, she knew that a lot of parents would be signing their children up for riding lessons to give them something to do while they were out of school. Now if she could just fill up all of her empty stalls, everything would be perfect.

As she sorted through the papers, she stopped when she came to the brown envelope that Mr. Callaway had given her. She stared at the handwriting on the front for several minutes before turning it over and removing the papers. She flipped through the pages, then laid them down on her desk before picking up the envelope again and turning it upside down. One last piece of paper fell from the package and landed on her desk. It was the business card that Mark had given her after he had made his proposal to her. She picked it up and turned it over, reading the phone number that he had written on the back. Instantly, she felt a pang of regret wash over her, although she wasn't sure if it was for the way she had treated him yesterday at the bank or because she had accepted his offer to begin with. Thoughts of him immediately invaded her mind, as she remembered how safe she had felt with him in her dream.

_Get real_, she warned herself, as the thought crossed her mind. _Safe? With Mark? Not a chance._

Unfortunately, the real man was nothing like the man in her dreams. Or was he? Something about the way he had acted that night at her apartment continued to nag at her. The way he had held her. The way he had kissed her. It was almost as if he regretted ever hurting her in the first place.

_No. There was nothing there. Whatever I think happened that night was only in my imagination. He's still the same arrogant bastard he's always been. He'll never be anything different, _Kelly thought to herself again.

With a frustrated sigh, she tossed the card in the trash can and turned her attention back to the paperwork on her desk.

The day passed slowly and Kelly tried to keep herself busy around the barn, in order to keep her mind occupied. Every time she got a spare minute to think, her mind started to wander back to the dream she'd about Mark. She had no idea why she couldn't just forget about it. It was only a dream after all. But something about the whole situation continued to eat at her and it was starting to wear on her nerves.

By the end of the day, she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. After helping George get the horses settled in for the night, she gathered her things and headed into town. She wanted desperately to head straight for home so she could rest, but she had a small list of errands she had to run first. She quickly made her stops at the post office and the farm supply store, before heading to the grocery store to pick up a few remaining items. Once she was done she loaded them into her truck and finally headed home.

Fumbling with her keys, she struggled to unlock the door while holding an armful of groceries. She finally got the door opened and once she was inside, she gently kicked the door with her foot to try and close it back as she headed to the kitchen. She sat the bags on the counter and began putting the food away, jumping suddenly when she heard the door slam. Looking up, she froze when she saw Mark standing in her entryway.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Without a sound, Mark quickly crossed the distance between them and snaked one of his arms around Kelly's waist as he pulled her against him and kissed her fiercely. Using his weight, he pinned her against the countertop, as his tongue continued to plunder her warm mouth, gripping her wrists and twisting them behind her back to hold her still. Finally pulling his lips away from hers, he continued his assault on her ears, neck and throat before moving back to her mouth once more. He kissed her over and over again, never giving her a chance to mutter a protest. She moaned into his mouth, and he released her wrists, her arms lacing around his neck, as his free hand slid through her hair. Feeling her lean into him, he took the opportunity to pick her up and carry her into her bedroom.

Without breaking the kiss, he laid her down gently on the bed, easing himself on top of her as she clutched at his broad shoulders. His caresses softened and a whimper of approval escaped from her as he kissed a trail up the side of her neck to her ear, then traced the path back downward teasingly with the tip of his tongue. He kissed her again passionately, nipping at her lower lip before moving to the other side of her neck and giving it the same treatment. As he moved to kiss her once more, he slid his hand under her shirt and cupped her breast, teasing the nipple through her bra. Kelly moaned softly as she arched upward, shoving the soft mound deeper into his hand. Grabbing her shirt with both hands, he quickly ripped it down the front, throwing the remaining shreds over his shoulder onto the floor. Then he reached beneath her and unfastened her bra with one swift movement, letting it join her shirt on the ground. His lips surrounded the place where his fingers had been only moments before and Kelly ran her fingers through his hair, trying to pull him closer to her.

He licked, sucked and bit her nipples relentlessly, until they were both swollen and hard. Kelly writhed beneath him, her frantic whimpers spurring him on. Moving lower down her body, he stopped long enough to dip his tongue into the slight hollow of her belly button, even as his fingers moved to unbutton her jeans. Finally releasing his hold on her, he jerked them down her legs, along with her panties, tossing them onto the growing pile on the floor, leaving her completely naked beneath him.

Removing his own shirt, Mark ran his hands up her legs, caressing the sensitive skin of her inner thighs before positioning himself between them. Wrapping his arms around her legs, he held her firmly down on the bed as his tongue darted out to taste her. A whining cry worked its way from the back of her throat and her hands fisted in his hair, urging him on. Alternating between gentle nibbles and soft flicks of his tongue, he continued to torment her and Kelly tried in vain to move her hips against him to increase the pressure, but his strong arms held her firmly in place against the mattress. Hearing her moans increase in volume and her breathing turn ragged, Mark knew she was close to her release. Redoubling his efforts, he continued the same steady pace, even as he felt her body tense beneath him. Kelly cried out loudly as the coil of pleasure exploded throughout her body, tugging painfully on his hair. Feeling the last tremor work it way through her, he released his hold on her and began to crawl back up her body, quickly shedding his pants along the way.

Even before Kelly had a chance to regain her breath, Mark positioned himself at her entrance and thrust forward quickly. She cried out again at the unexpected intrusion of her already sensitive body. He leaned over her small frame and once again began his gentle torture on her neck and throat as he moved within her in a steady rhythm. Sliding his arms beneath her, he held her tightly against him as increased the pace of his thrusts. Kelly wrapped her arms around his body, kneading the firm muscles as she tried to pull him deeper inside of her, the tension building again around his pulsating flesh. The second wave of pleasure overtaking her, his name was torn from her lips with a breathless cry, her nails digging into his back painful, clutching him to her. With a couple of final thrusts, Mark followed her over the edge, grunting her own name with approval, his body weakened with the effort. As the wave slowly subsided, he rested his forehead against hers for a moment while he regained his breath, then still holding her tightly against him, he rolled to his side and pulled her into his body.

Kelly snuggled deeper against him as she slowly came back down to earth. She laid next to him quietly, amazed at the feeling of peacefulness that surrounded her. Mark rested his chin on her top of her head, slowly stroking her hair as she laid beside of him. For a brief moment, Kelly had a fleeting image of her dream, remembering how safe she had felt in his arms. Then she realized that this wasn't a dream. Mark was really here!

Immediately, anger sparked inside of her. She had already paid off her debt to him! He had no business being here now. How could she have allowed him use her yet again?

Laying beside her, Mark felt her stiffen in his arms and he tightened his hold on her in anticipation of the impending storm.

"You son of a bitch! You have no right to be here! I don't owe you a damn thing anymore! Get away from me!" Kelly screamed, as she tried in vain to push him away.

"Kelly, stop." he replied calmly, as he tried to keep her still.

"No! Damn it Mark! Let me go!" she repeated, beating on his chest with her small fists.

"Kelly, listen to me." he pleaded, finally catching her arms and pinning them to the bed.

"Damn you to hell! Let me go!" she repeated once more, as she struggled to free her arms from his strong grip.

"Stop!" he shouted at her, trying to get her to calm down.

Kelly tried in vain to hold back the wave of emotion that washed over her, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling. Her body shook with anger as she continued to fight against him.

"I'm sorry darlin'. Stop." Mark whispered softly, desperate to soothe her.

He felt her body sag beneath him as she began to sob. Leaning down, he kissed her gently on the forehead, before resting his head against hers once more.

"I'm sorry." he repeated softly, loosening his grip on her arms when he felt her struggles cease.

The sound of her tears seemed to echo loudly throughout the room, and he remained still beside of her in the dark, unsure of what he should do to comfort her.

"Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you to deserve to be treated this way?" she asked, the pitiful tone of her voice finally breaking the silence.

The heavy weight of regret suddenly seized him, straining his conscience to the breaking point. How could he ever begin to explain to her why he had treated her so badly?

His hand reached up to touch her face, wiping away a few tears with a swipe of his thumb, and his lips grazed across her forehead in another soft kiss.

"I'm sorry. It was all a mistake. I'm so sorry I ever hurt you, darlin'" he murmured, and despite everything, the smooth southern drawl of his voice caused a shiver to run down her spine.

"Why me?" she repeated. "Out of everybody that you know, why did you do this to me?"

Mark hesitated, not wanting to voice the words that he knew she would not want to hear.

"Because you're a Deveraux."

Kelly looked up at him through her tears. "What does that have to do with anything? You don't even know my family."

"That's where you're wrong. I do know your family." Mark replied. "We have a history, of sorts."

"What does that have to do with me?" she questioned, her voice ragged with emotion.

"Nothin, really. Except….I just made it that way." he replied.

Kelly glared up at him, the hurt still evident upon her face. "You're not making any sense Mark. What are you talking about?"

Releasing a shaky breath, he shook his head, contemplating his words.

"I know your family very well. I worked for your grandfather years ago, when I was a teenager." he began, his gaze fogging over as he recalled that time so long ago. "I got real lucky when I stumbled upon the job. I happened to know a man who was friends with your grandfather and he put in a good word for me and helped me get hired. Your grandfather owned the largest newspaper in the area and it was located in this big office building right in the middle of town."

A faint smile etched itself on Kelly's face as he talked. She could remember going to visit her grandfather in his office when she was a small child. She had always looked forward to those visits. Her grandfather would parade her around the office and show her off to everybody and if he could sneak her away from her parents long enough, he would make sure to slip her some money or candy. She had been so young and innocent then, long before she had learned the truth about her family.

"My first day on the job, I knew I had it made." he continued. "Don't get me wrong, I worked hard and did exactly what I was asked to do. Starting out, all I did was run errands for all of the big shots there at the office. But I knew if I stayed there long enough and worked hard enough, that some day I would be as successful as they were. And I was well on my way, until your grandfather decided I wasn't good enough to be a part of his company."

He paused for a moment and Kelly could only watch him, afraid to speak for fear of breaking the intense look of concentration that covered his face.

"My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was growin' up. They always made sure we had plenty of food and decent clothes to wear, but there wasn't any money left over for all of the extra stuff. We lived in a small apartment in a run-down neighborhood on the opposite end of the town. Somebody took it upon themselves to inform your grandfather of my family's poor background. He showed up at my door one afternoon not long after that and fired me right there on the spot in front of my family. He told me that I was too low-class to work for somebody like him and that I would never amount to anything in my life."

Mark paused again and Kelly saw a flash of anger in his eyes. It was almost as if he was reliving that day all over again. She didn't have to imagine how he had felt, being on the receiving end of their disapproval herself on more than one occasion.

"He fired me, not because of the job I did, but because I didn't have a big house or nice clothes or a fancy car." he continued. "Because I didn't have those things, I didn't deserve to be associated with someone like him."

Kelly turned away from him as he finished speaking. She had no doubt that he was telling her the truth. She knew her family well enough to know that they were capable of being so prejudiced. But she still didn't understand why it had anything to do with her.

"What does all of that have to do with me? I didn't have any part in it." she asked quietly.

"You're right. You didn't have any part in it." he admitted, guiltily. "But, you are still a Deveraux. When I saw you walk into my bank that first time and I realized who you were, I knew right then that I would finally get some form of revenge on your family for what they had done to me. I figured you were some spoiled, rich, daddy's girl who got whatever she wanted at the drop of a hat. I figured there wasn't any better way to get even than to humiliate you and knock you down off of your high horse, just like your grandfather humiliated me."

Kelly felt the tears forming in her eyes again. She turned away from him and focused her gaze on the wall.

"I'm nothing like that." she whispered softly. "I'm nothing like the rest of my family."

Mark smiled faintly as he leaned down to kiss her forehead once more.

"I know that now." he replied softly, his lips trailing down her cheek. "I didn't realize it until that day at the stables when you were arguing with your mother."

Kelly turned to look at him in surprise.

"Then you were at the barn that day." she whispered. "What were you doing there?"

"I was sure that your parents were the ones who had given you the money to get out of debt. I honestly don't know what I intended to do that day. I just knew that I wanted to humiliate you one last time before I let you slip away."

Mark paused for a moment. "I overheard the argument that you had with your mother. I realized then that I was wrong about you. You are nothing like them."

He hesitated again, watching as Kelly turned away from him.

"I know what I did to you was wrong. I had no right to use you like that. I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me for the way I've treated you, darlin'?"

Kelly felt a mixture of anger and sadness wash over her. She knew that the way her grandfather had treated him was wrong, but the way Mark had treated her wasn't any better. And now after all the humiliation he had put her through, he wanted her to forgive him, just so he could clear his conscience. She turned and glared at him coldly when she felt him touch her face.

"Do you think an apology is supposed to make up for everything that you've done to me?"

Mark returned her gaze, taking note of the anger he saw reflected in her eyes.

"I just hoped.." he replied, before Kelly cut him off.

"You just hoped that I would forgive you so you could leave here with a clean conscience! Well, fuck you Mark Callaway, because I will never forgive you for what you've done to me!"

Mark took another deep breath. "That's not .."

"Just leave Mark." she replied, cutting him off again. "Please, just go and leave me alone."

"I don't want to leave you like this." he said, not making any attempt to move off of her.

"Damn it! Just go away! Just get out of here!" Kelly repeated forcefully, finally pulling her arms free from his grip and giving him a hard shove.

Reluctantly, he released her and slowly slid from the bed. He grabbed up his clothes from the floor, and headed into the bathroom to get dressed. When he stepped back out into the room, he saw that Kelly had turned onto her side, so that her back was towards him. He stood and watched her for a moment, regretting all of the pain and hurt that he had inflicted on her.

"Just leave Mark."

The coldness of her voice nearly broke him. Fighting the urge to gather her back into his arms, he reluctantly obeyed her command, leaving her alone in her room to cry.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks again for all the great reviews! You guys are awesome! As a reward, I'm making this a two chapter night! Enjoy! xD**

**Chapter 9**

Mark cursed loudly as he slammed the phone down.

He'd lost track of how many times he'd tried to call Kelly since his last night at her apartment. He was desperate to speak to her again, to reiterate his apology, to try to find some way to make up for the hurt that he had inflicted upon her. But so far, she had refused to answer her phone or respond to his messages. He wondered if he would ever be fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of her forgiveness.

As he turned to gaze out the window, he let out a deep sigh. He missed her. He missed seeing her. He missed holding her. Hell, he even missed fighting with her.

He'd already known, by their second night together, that he was starting to feel something for her. But his stubborn pride and his desire for revenge had gotten in the way and he'd used her again anyway. The day that she had suddenly appeared in his office and acted so provocatively toward him, he'd been nearly ecstatic at the hope that, just maybe, she might feel the same way about him. But she had only been playing a trick on him. A well deserved trick. To pay him back for the things he had done to her. He'd been completely blindsided when she jerked the check from her pocket and threw it on his desk. He'd never seen that one coming at him in a million years.

When he'd shown up at her apartment the next day, he had only intended to apologize to her and tell her how wrong he'd been. But the sight of her standing there, the way she had looked at him, it had driven him over the edge and he had been unable to control his desires. And now that she knew the real reason he had hurt her, she was even more furious with him. Mark let out another deep sigh. After all the pain he had inflicted on her, he knew that his chances with her were slim.

_But it never hurts to try, _he thought to himself, as he looked down at the phone again. Picking it up, he dialed her number one more time.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly sat at her desk, trying to concentrate on the paperwork that was spread out in front of her. She jumped when the phone rung again. How many times had it been this morning? She'd already lost count. Glancing at it for only a moment, she turned her attention back to the papers. She already knew who it was. And she'd be damned if she was going to answer it. Mark had been calling her continuously for the past several days and he'd left her numerous messages, but so far, she'd been successful in avoiding him.

She still couldn't get over the fact that he'd used her so callously, simply to get back at her family for something that had happened years ago. His seemingly instant dislike for her, his insistence that she accept his offer, his efforts to humiliate her. It all made sense now. And she had walked right into his trap.

But the thing that frustrated her the most was that she actually found herself missing him. With every ring of the phone, she felt the knife in her heart twist a little deeper. Images of their last evening together had taken root in her mind, and despite her best attempts to dislodge them, the pain of the memories continued to weigh her down. He'd seemed like such a different person that night. There had been no humiliation. No embarrassment. Just intense emotion, full of passion and lust. And afterward, his actions had been so warm and caring, his touch so soft and gentle. She had sensed that he was genuinely sorry for the pain and humiliation that he had caused her. But regardless of her feelings, or his intentions, he had used her. And she could never forgive him for that. She could never allow herself to love a man who had treated her so cruelly.

Looking at the time, she stacked the paperwork on the side of her desk, then headed out of her office. She needed to prepare the horses for her afternoon riding class. As she headed toward the tack room, she noticed George working in the corner of the barn and she smiled at him faintly as she passed by him. He stopped what he was doing and watched her walk past him, noticing how heavy her step seemed to be. He'd noticed a definite change in her over the past few days, and he assumed that she was still upset over the argument she'd had with her mother. With the business picking up and Mr. Calloway out of her hair, he didn't know what else it could possibly be.

_She's been working an awful lot lately. Maybe she's just tired_, he thought to himself, as he watched her disappear around the corner.

_She definitely could use a break. I'll have to see if I can talk her into taking a couple of days off _, he thought again, already knowing he would have a fight on his hands when he suggested it.

_Damn stubborn woman!, _he chuckled to himself, as he turned his attention back to his work. _I'll get her to take a vacation if I have to tie her up and carry her away from this place myself!_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly finished teaching her afternoon lessons, then she helped George put the horses away. She headed back to her office to finish up her paperwork, working until late in the evening to get it all completed, even as she continued to ignore the incessant ringing of the phone. George had reluctantly left hours ago, after Kelly had insisted that he go home to rest and given him a reminder that she was a big girl and could take care of herself. She smiled to herself when she thought about George. He was probably parked in the shadows somewhere watching for her, to make sure that she made it out of there okay. With the paperwork finally done, she gathered her things and left the stables, thoughts of a nice hot bath forefront in her mind.

She made a small detour in town for a quick bite to eat, before heading back to her apartment. Walking across the lot toward her door, she cursed when she realized that she had forgotten to leave the exterior light on. Squinting in the dim light, she fumbled with her keys, trying to find the magic slot in the door, muttering again when she dropped them on the sidewalk. As she bent down to pick them up, two large feet suddenly appeared from behind her, causing her heart to leap in her chest.

"Need some help darlin'?" Mark asked her softly.

Kelly closed her eyes as she tried to get her emotions under control. Pulling herself upright, she turned to face him.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, a chill flooding her veins. She knew that Mark would never physically hurt her, but she was afraid of what she would let him do to her again if he got too close.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a minute." he replied, taking another step toward her.

"I don't have anything else to say to you." Kelly snapped, as she turned her attention back to the door. Finally getting it unlocked, she pushed it open and moved to step inside.

"Kelly, wait a minute. Please." Mark said, reaching out and grabbing her gently by the arm.

She jumped as though he'd shocked her.

"Don't touch me!" she replied, jerking her arm free from his grasp. "Just go away Mark! I don't want to talk to you!"

Quickly, she slipped inside and closed the door, making sure to lock it behind her. Collapsing against the door, she tried to calm the emotions raging inside of her. Part of her wanted him to go away and never come back, while the other part of her wanted to open the door and throw herself into his arms. Frustrated, she slid to the floor, unable to stifle the flow of tears that gathered behind closed lids. She couldn't believe she could feel something for this man after everything he had done to her.

_But he seems so different now_, she reminded herself, wondering if it was possible for someone to actually change that much. What if this was just another one of his cruel plans? Just another way for him to worm himself into her life and break her even further? No, she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of falling for his tricks again.

_You can go straight to hell, Mark Callaway_, she stated to the empty room, as she pulled herself to her feet. _I promise you, I'll be just fine without you in my life!_

Listening through the door until she was sure he was gone, she headed toward the bathroom and the hot bath that she'd been promising herself all evening, needing it now more than ever.

By the time she finally settled into bed, she was more determined than ever to put an end to this nonsense.

_As of tonight, you are no longer my concern Mark_, she told herself as she turned out the light. _Good riddance! _

Pulling the covers around her, she quickly drifted off to sleep, intent on erasing all thoughts of him from her mind.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly stirred in her sleep, waking when she felt someone stroke her hair. Her eyes flew open and she found herself looking up at her dream lover again. Only this time, his face was completely visible to her.

"Mark?" she whispered softly, feeling his finger brush against her lips to silence her as she spoke.

She stared helplessly into his dark green eyes, completely mesmerized by his gaze. She closed her eyes when she felt him caress her cheek with the back of his hand. She felt his lips brush gently against hers and she moaned softly when his tongue moved past her parted lips and began to gently explore her mouth. Her hands ran slowly up his arms and wrapped around his neck as she tried to pull him closer to her. He deepened the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her slender body and pulled her closer to him.

Kelly was completely lost in the sensations he was creating as he continued to kiss up and down her body. He left no spot untouched, no place unexplored. The intensity of the emotions that he stirred within her frightened her, but as he continued to tease and torment her, she found that she only wanted more.

After several long minutes of wonderful torture, she felt Mark roll her beneath him as positioned himself at her entrance. She could feel his massive hardness pulsating against her soft wetness and she squirmed against him, wanting to feel him deep inside of her. Catching her face in his hands, he forced her to look up at him as he stilled himself.

"I'm so sorry darlin'. I promise I'll never do anything to hurt you again. Can you forgive me?" he asked her softly.

"Yes. I forgive you Mark." she replied urgently, needing to feel him deep within her. "Please.. I need you."

Smiling down at her, he began to push forward, slowly burying himself inside of her. He began to move within her slowly, then increased his pace as she begged him for more. The tension began to build within them quickly, and he clutched her tightly against him as he pushed them both over the edge.

As Kelly came back down from her incredible high, she felt Mark's arms around her, holding her tight as he rained gentle kisses across her face.

"I love you darlin'" he whispered to her softly.

Kelly smiled as she turned to look at him. "I love you too Mark!" she whispered.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The blare of the alarm clock pulled Kelly from her dream. Bolting upright in the bed, she looked around the room searching for Mark.

"It was only a dream." she murmured, when she realized he wasn't there.

_Another stupid dream! What the hell is wrong with you_! she growled, as she angrily climbed out of the bed and stormed into the bathroom. _Have you gone so long without a man in your life that you have to fall in love with the first one you've slept with in months?  
_  
"In not in love with Mark Callaway!" she stated confidently, as she glared at herself in the mirror. "I will never love that man!"

Frustrated, she quickly showered and got dressed, then headed to work, still berating herself as she drove down the highway.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The next few days passed by quickly. Kelly worked herself hard around the barn, while she continued to avoid Mark's phone calls. She was a little surprised that he hadn't given up on her yet, but she knew from past experience how persistent he could be.

George watched her carefully, his concerns about her health growing. He could tell that she was working herself too hard and he couldn't help but notice how sick and tired she looked. Approaching her one afternoon, while she was working in her office, he was determined to convince her to take a few days off. Kelly looked up at him and smiled when she saw him standing in her doorway and George noticed the dark circles under her eyes and he knew right then that something was wrong with her.

"You been feelin' alright, Miss Kelly?" he asked her, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine George. Why do you ask?" she replied, looking at him in confusion.

"Well, you just haven't seemed yourself lately and I was worried that maybe something was botherin' you? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. I've just been real busy trying to keep everything running smoothly around here." she replied, as she turned her attention back to her paperwork.

"Uh, well, that's somethin' else I wanted to talk to you about." he continued. "I think you've been tryin' to do too much around here and I think you should take a few days off to rest up."

Kelly looked up at him again and George braced himself for the argument that he knew was coming.

"George really I'm fine." she replied. "I don't need to take any time off and besides you couldn't handle this place by yourself while I'm gone anyway. Who would teach the lessons and take care of the paperwork?"

"Surely you could get by for a couple of days without doin' any of that stuff." he argued.

"I don't need a vacation George. I'll be fine."

"Look darlin', you know that I never argue with you over anything you do with your business…."

"Damn it George! I said I'm fine!" she answered, cutting him off, the familiarity of his endearment causing her heart to lurch. "I'm not going to take a vacation and that's all I want to hear about it! Now please leave me alone so I can finish this paperwork!"

George stared at her for a moment longer before he turned and walked away. Once Kelly knew he was gone, she looked up at the empty doorway again. Standing up, she walked to the mirror hanging on her wall and stared at her reflection. As much as she hated to admit it, George was right. She did look terrible. She'd been working herself to death in order to keep her mind off of Mark but it wasn't working. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push the thoughts of him from her mind and that made her push herself that much harder to keep them away. The truth was, she was completely exhausted and she didn't know how much longer she could keep going this way. If she didn't take a break soon, she was sure she would collapse from the strain.

Turning away from the mirror, she walked back to her desk and took her seat. If she did slow down, it wouldn't be today. She had too many things that needed to be done.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

By that evening, Kelly was completely wiped out. It had been another long, hard day and it wasn't over yet. She left her office and walked out into the barn, searching for George and found him outside working on a fence. She smiled hesitantly as she approached him, feeling bad for the way she had yelled at him earlier. He was only looking out for her, after all. She knew she was lucky to have somebody like him to help her out. She didn't know what she would do without him.

"Hey George." she said softly, when she approached him. "I need to ride into town and pick up some feed for the horses. You want to go with me and grab a bite to eat while we're out? My treat!"

George smiled as he turned toward her. "Yes ma'am. I believe I will. Come to think about it, I am gettin' pretty hungry. Let me clean up a little bit and I'll be ready to go."

Kelly nodded and headed for her truck. They made it into town and stopped to load the feed into her truck before heading over to the restaurant to eat. By the time they had finished their meal and started back toward the stables it was nearly dark and as Kelly drove down the highway, she thought about how much she was looking forward to a good nights sleep. She was so tired, she wasn't sure if she would make it home without falling asleep. She thought again about what George had said to her earlier that day and she knew he was right. If she didn't take some time off soon, she was going to run herself into the ground.

As she got closer to the barn, she began to notice a strange smell breezing into the cab of the truck through the open windows.

"What's that smell, George?" she asked, when she noticed it getting stronger.

"Smells like smoke. Somebody must be burnin' some brush somewhere." he replied.

"Must be." Kelly replied, turning her attention back to the highway.

As they approached the stables, Kelly looked toward the general direction of the barn and her heart nearly stopped when she saw the bright light surrounding it.

"Oh my God! George the barn is on fire!" she shrieked.

Stepping on the gas, she quickly pulled onto the gravel road leading up to the stables. She stopped the truck in front of the barn and stared at the bright flames, which had already traveled up the sides of the barn and were now moving to the roof. Sitting there, she was completely frozen in place for what seemed like an eternity before she realized the horses were still trapped inside. Grabbing her cell phone, she threw it at George.

"Call the fire department!" she yelled at him as she jumped out of her truck.

"Wait!" George replied. "Where are you going?"

"I have to get the horses out!" Kelly yelled back, as she rushed toward the barn.

"You can't go in there! Kelly!" George yelled, as he tried to pull himself from her truck. But his old age made it impossible for him to move fast enough to catch her and he could only watch in horror as she disappeared inside the burning structure.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Mark drove down the highway, headed for Kelly's barn. He'd already been to her apartment, only to find that she wasn't home yet and he knew there was only one other place her would find her. And when he got there, he wasn't going to leave until he finally got her to listen to him.

As he approached the road leading toward the stables, he panicked when he saw the flames shooting up into the sky.

_Kelly!, _he thought, fearful that she might be trapped inside.

He quickly raced down the gravel road, sliding to a stop next to George. He jumped from the truck in one quick movement, nearly knocking George over in the process.

"Where's Kelly?" he asked, grabbing George by the shoulders and turning him around.

"She's in the barn!" he replied, pointing in the direction that she had disappeared.

Mark barely let the words escape his mouth before he rushed toward the barn.

Kelly struggled to breathe as she tried to get to the last of the horses. The heat was unbearable and the thick smoke made it nearly impossible to see. She covered her nose with her shirt, trying to keep from breathing it in. When she finally reached the remaining stalls, she managed to unlock their doors and let them out. They bolted toward the back entrance of the barn, somehow managing to dodge the flames on the way. Satisfied that the barn was finally empty, Kelly tried to follow the path they had taken, but the thick smoke and the bright flames disoriented her. She stood in place and looked around her, as she tried to regain her bearings. Looking up, she noticed that all the walls and the entire roof were all fully engulfed in flames and she knew it was only a matter of time before the entire barn caved in on her. She had to get out of there and fast.

Looking around her again, she finally decided on which direction to take. But the smoke was making it very difficult for her to breathe and when combined with the intense heat, it was too much for her already exhausted body to take. Her head began to swim and she felt her legs give way as she tried to move. She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath as she began to crawl toward the exit. Glancing around, she could see that the flames were closing in on her and she realized if she didn't get out of there soon, she was going to die. She tried unsuccessfully to pull herself back to her feet, before a noise somewhere behind her caught her attention. She strained to hear over the roar of the fire, almost positive that she had heard someone call her name. Shaking it off, she realized it was probably just her mind playing tricks on her. She tried to crawl toward the exit once more, stopping when she heard the noise again. This time, she was sure that someone was calling for her. But who could it be? Surely George wouldn't have been crazy enough to follow her into a burning barn. Hoping that maybe it was somebody who could help her she began to yell.

"Help! Over here!" she cried, with as much force as she could muster, sitting upright when she heard the voice call to her again.

_That sounds like Mark! But why would he be here?, _Kelly thought to herself, as she tried to determine which direction the sound had come from.

"Kelly! Where are you?"

_That is Mark! _she thought to herself in surprise, her vision beginning to blur.

"Mark! Over here!" she yelled, trying again to get to her feet.

But the heat and the smoke were too much for her, and she collapsed onto the ground once more, hearing Mark call her name one last time before the darkness closed in on her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Kelly stirred slightly in the bed, feeling the ache in her chest and the pounding in her head despite her semi-conscious state. As she drifted in and out of the blackness, she became aware of the voices that seemed to surround her. She tried to concentrate on the noise and as she picked up on the words, she realized that the voices were arguing with each other.

"I don't know what the hell you think you're doin' here but you can just turn around and leave. That's the last thing the poor girl needs right now is to wake up and have to deal with you." George said to Mark.

"I'm not leaving. I'm staying right here until I know she's alright." Mark replied, glaring at George coldly.

George glared right back at him. "I'll be damned if I'm goin' stay in the same room with you for one minute after all the hurt and worry you've caused this poor girl. Now I want you out of here!"

"If you don't want to be in the same room with me, that's fine. You can leave." Mark replied. "Because I'm not going anywhere."

Finally reaching the end of his patience, George stood up and circled around the bed toward the other man. "You can either leave on your own or I'll throw you out!" he yelled.

Standing up, Mark towered over him. Grabbing George by the collar of his shirt, he jerked him up off of the floor and glared at him again. "I told you I'm not leaving! Now you can either go have a seat in your chair over there, or you'll be the one who gets thrown out of this room!"

"You son of a bitch!" George shot back as he tried to free himself from Mark's grasp. He clenched his fist, ready to take a shot if he didn't release him.

The sound of a weak voice pulled them from their angry standoff.

"Mark?" Kelly whispered faintly, surprised that he was actually there with her.

At the sound of her voice, Mark released George and pushed him away before turning toward her and taking a seat in the chair beside her bed.

"Where am I? What are you doing here?" she asked him softly, before he placed a finger against her lips to silence her.

"You're in the hospital. I wanted to make sure that you're okay." he replied, as he gently stroked her hair. "How do you feel? Are you in any pain?"

Kelly stared up into his dark green eyes, noticing the concern that she saw there. She felt helpless to pull away as she felt his thumb softly caress her cheek. George stood silently by the end of the bed, completely stunned as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him. He was sure that Kelly would be furious to see Mr. Callaway on a good day, let alone now. But instead, she seemed almost comforted by his presence. Confused, George wondered what the hell he had missed.

He cleared his throat, interrupting them. "You gave us quite a scare there Miss Kelly. If it weren't for Mr. Callaway here, we would have probably lost you in the fire."

Kelly looked at George briefly as he spoke, before turning her gaze back to Mark. He reached out to touch her with his other hand, and Kelly noticed the bandage wrapped around it.

"What happened to you?" she asked, as she touched it gently.

"It's just a little burn. It's nothin' really. I'm fine." he replied.

Kelly shook her head in confusion. "I don't remember what happened."

"You ran into the barn to save the horses. I went in after you to save you. I heard you yelling at me when I was searching for you and luckily, I followed your voice and found you. You were already unconscious by the time I got there, so I picked you up and carried you out." Mark replied.

"Just in time too." George added. "If he had been just a few seconds longer, the barn would have caved in on you."

Kelly looked at George again as she recalled the night's events. "George, the horses!"

"As far as I could tell, all of the horses made it out alright." he replied, trying to ease her concern.

"What about the barn?" Kelly asked softly.

George met Mark's gaze for a brief moment, before Mark looked back down at her.

"Everything else was lost in the fire, darlin'. There's nothin' left." he said softly.

Kelly looked from Mark to George and back to Mark again. She couldn't believe that everything she had worked so hard for was gone. What was she going to do now? She had insurance on the barn, but for the first time in her life, Kelly wasn't sure if it was worth it anymore. Maybe her mother had been right. Maybe it was time to move on to something else. Kelly felt the wave of emotion building within her and she tried to no avail to stifle the stream of tears that began flowing from her eyes. Mark immediately leaned over to cradle her in his arms, resting his forehead against hers and kissing her softly on the nose.

"Don't cry darlin'. We'll take care of everything later. Right now, you just rest and concentrate on getting better." he said quietly.

George watched the two of them interact, still stunned over what he was seeing. He had never seen the two of them within shouting distance but what they hadn't tried to bite each other's head off. And now here they were actually being civil toward each other.

"He's right darlin'." George added, as he moved closer to the bed. "You just rest. We can take care of everything else later."

"I want out of here." Kelly sniffled, as she tried to sit up. "I want to go home."

"Oh, no you don't." Mark said, gently pushing her back down on the bed. "You inhaled an awful lot of smoke tonight. The doctor wants to keep you here overnight, just to make sure you're okay."

Kelly reluctantly laid back down in the bed. Looking over at George again, she noticed how tired he looked.

"George, you're exhausted. Go home and get some rest." she fussed.

"I'm fine Miss Kelly. I'm going to stay right here and make sure you're taken care of." he replied.

"Really George. I'll be fine. Please go home and get some rest." she argued.

"Go ahead George." Mark added softly. "I'll stay here with her and make sure she's alright."

George looked back at Kelly again, looking for any sign that she didn't want to be left alone with Mr. Callaway. When he saw that she didn't seem concerned about it, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and hesitantly moved toward the door.

"You take good care of her, or you'll answer to me." he said, glaring at Mark one last time. "I'll come by to check on you in the morning Kelly." he added, before leaving the room.

Mark looked back down at Kelly, noticing how tired she looked.

"You look pretty worn out yourself, darlin'" he whispered softly. "Get some sleep. I'm going to stay right here and keep an eye on you."

Kelly stared up at him again, to tired to argue with him. If he wanted to stay, then she would let him. Besides, she found his presence very comforting to her. Kelly snuggled into the pillow and closed her eyes, before she heard him speak to her again.

"And one more thing little lady. You ever give me another scare like you did tonight, and I won't hesitate to pull you across my knee and give you a good spankin'" he added with a stern tone.

Smiling faintly, she glanced up at him one last time, before closing her eyes again and drifting off to sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly awoke the next morning and smiled when she noticed Mark stretched out asleep in the small chair beside of her bed. She knew he had to be uncomfortable and she wondered for a moment how he had managed to get any sleep at all.

She recalled his behavior from the previous night, surprised at the way he had acted with her, especially in front of George. Apparently, he had been too concerned about her condition to worry about what George might have thought about his actions.

She gazed at him intently, as she thought about everything that had happened. Mark had followed her into a burning building and she owed her life to him. For the first time in weeks, she felt some of the anger she had been harboring toward him begin to fade away. Maybe somewhere under that cold exterior, there was a decent man trying to get out.

She continued to study his sleeping form as she let her eyes travel down his large frame, lingering for a moment at the crotch of his pants. She found herself remembering their intense lovemaking sessions and she suddenly had a strong urge to throw herself into his arms again. She still had dreams about their passionate encounters. Pulling herself from her lusty thoughts, she moved her gaze back to his face and she blushed when she noticed that he was now awake and watching her. She quickly averted her face from his, concentrating instead on her hands as they fumbled with the sheets on the bed.

Mark smiled as he watched her. He hadn't failed to notice the way she was staring at his body and he could see she was obviously embarrassed at being caught. Chuckling softly, he pulled himself upright in his chair, rubbing his stiff neck as he moved it closer to the bed.

"How you feelin' this mornin' darlin'?"

"I'm fine." Kelly replied, looking him in the face again. "And I'm ready to go home. Will you please go see if you can get me out of here?" she pleaded.

Mark chuckled again. "Be patient darlin'. I'll get you out of here as soon as I possibly can."

Kelly was about to protest but she was cut short by a knock on the door. She smiled as George entered the room.

"Mornin' Miss Kelly. You feelin' alright this mornin'?" he asked her as he moved to the other side of the bed.

"I'm fine George. What about you? Did you go home and get some sleep like I told you too?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am I did." George replied. "I didn't realize how tired I was until I climbed into my bed. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow."

Kelly smiled and nodded, as George stole a quick glance at Mark, surprised to see that the other man was still there. Apparently he'd stayed with her all night, as George noticed he was still wearing the same clothes that he'd worn the night before. He turned his gaze back to Kelly and gave her a questioning look. Kelly noticed his confusion but she made no attempt to explain anything to him at the moment. She knew she would have plenty of time to talk to him later, once she figured everything out herself.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, each of them eyeing the other two questioningly as they tried to process their own thoughts. Then Kelly jumped as a second knock came at the door. All three of them looked on in surprise as two men appeared in the doorway. The closest to the door, Mark stood from his chair and approached them.

"Can I help you gentleman?"

"We're here to speak with Ms. Deveraux." one of the men replied, while both of them flashed their badges at Mark.

He eyed them suspiciously, but moved out of the way as they approached the bed.

"I'm Dectective Grayson. This is my partner, Dectective Martin." the first man stated, as he handed Kelly a business card. "We've been assigned to your case."

"My case?" Kelly asked, confused. "I don't understand…"

"We're investigating the fire that occurred at your barn last night. Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire was intentionally set. We were hoping you might be able to give us some information on who you think might have done this."

Kelly shook her head. "I don't know of anybody who would be willing to do something so serious. I have no idea who it could have been."

"It's our understanding that you have recently been having some financial difficulties with your business. Did you have insurance on the property?"

Kelly looked up at the man in astonishment, his implication clear. Surely they didn't think that she would intentionally set fire to her own building just to get the insurance money? She risked a quick glance at Mark, searching for his help, unable to ignore the look of sheer anger that crossed his face.

"Now you wait just a minute. Don't you come barging in here with all of these accusations without any proof to back them up!" Mark stated coldly, as he glared at the two men.

"And who exactly are you?" Detective Grayson shot back, as he returned Mark's glare.

"My name is Mark Callaway. I own the bank that handles Ms. Deveraux's accounts. I can attest to the fact that Ms. Deveraux cleared up all of her delinquent finances several weeks ago. She would have absolutely no reason to want to destroy her own business."

Detective Martin shot him a contemptuous look, scoffing at his comment. "Tell me, Mr. Callaway. Do you make it a habit to visit all of your customers while they're in the hospital?" he asked. "Or maybe just the ones you have special business arrangements with?"

"Since you apparently have such a close connection with Ms. Deveraux, I'm not sure I'm willing to place much credibility in any statements you make regarding her financial position." Detective Grayson added. "A man in your position could easily cover his tracks to hide any unorthodox business transactions"

Kelly's gaze alternated between Mark and the two detectives. She simply couldn't believe the accusations that they were making toward her. She cringed when she saw Mark clench his fists and take a step toward them and Kelly suddenly feared for the two men's safety, police officers or not. She knew first hand what a quick temper Mark had. Fortunately for everybody, the potential conflict was shelved when her doctor entered the room.

The detectives quickly left, but not without ensuring Kelly that they would be back in touch with her soon. Mark gave her a reassuring glance as the doctor leaned over the bed to examine her. There was no way in hell that he was going to let those two jerks try and pin this on her. Looking past Kelly, he noticed George was still standing on the opposite side of the bed, glaring at him coldly.

As the doctor continued his examination, George walked around the bed and headed for the door. "I'll be back in a minute, Miss Kelly." he said.

"Mr. Callaway, I'd like to have a word with you. Outside!" he stated as he jerked the door open and stepped out into the hall.

Kelly gave Mark a questioning glance, before Mark turned and followed George out into the hallway. As soon as the door to Kelly's room was closed, George tore into him.

"Alright, Mark! Don't think for one minute that you're foolin' anybody around here. You set that fire yourself, didn't you? To get back at Kelly for tellin' you off."

Mark threw up his hands as George advanced toward him. "No George. You've got it all wrong. I had nothing to do with the fire.."

"I suppose it was just coincidence then that you happened to show up at the barn last night when you did. You got to play hero and rescue Miss Kelly and now you're trying to get back into her good graces."

Mark shook his head. "George I had nothing to do with this!"

"You may have Kelly fooled for the moment, but you haven't fooled me for one minute. And as soon as those two police detectives figure out that you're behind all of this mess, she'll come to her senses and realize what kind of man you really are!"

Between the detectives and George's accusations, Mark had finally reached the end of his rope. He clenched his fists and took a step toward the other man only to be interrupted by the doctor coming out of Kelly's room.

"How is she this morning?" Mark asked, as he ignored George's accusing stare.

"She's fine. Although I think she's about to go stir crazy in there. I think she's ready to go home. I'll go finish up her paperwork and then she'll be free to leave."

Mark thanked the doctor and rushed back into the room, leaving George to fume alone in the hallway. He glared at the doorway as he watched Mark disappear into the room. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he'd had something to do with the fire. It was just too coincidental that he happened to show up at the barn when he had.

"I know you're up to something, I just don't know what. But I won't quit until I find out what it is." he mumbled to himself as he followed Mark back into the room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Mark unlocked the door to Kelly's apartment, then moved aside to allow her to enter. She stepped inside and headed straight for the couch, the fatigue quickly catching up to her again. She stretched out on the sofa, as Mark followed her into the apartment and closed the door. She moaned softly, grateful to finally be home and she closed her eyes and snuggled into the comfortable cushions.

"Can I get you anything darlin'" Mark asked her softly, noticing how tired she looked.

"No" she whispered. "I just want to rest for awhile."

"Well, how about if I run you a nice hot bath first. It will help relax you so you'll sleep better."

Kelly nodded her head faintly. A hot bath did sound nice, suddenly realizing that she could still smell the scent of smoke on her skin and hair. Even as Mark exited the room, she closed her eyes again, dozing off almost immediately and she jumped slightly when she felt his hand touch her shoulder.

"Come on darlin'. Let me help you." he said, picking her up off the couch with ease and carrying her through the apartment into the bathroom. He sat her down gently beside the tub, which he had already filled with her favorite bubble bath.

"Need help gettin undressed?" he chuckled, as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

"I think I can manage the rest." she replied, too tired to laugh at his attempt at humor.

She brought her arm up between them and gently pushed him away.

"Okay. I'll be outside if you need me." he answered, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Kelly undressed and climbed into the tub, washing herself off quickly. She was afraid to stay too long, for fear of falling asleep in the water. Once she was done, she dried off and slipped on her shorts and tank top and pulled her hair back into a pony tail. Opening the door, she stepped out into her room, noticing that the covers had already been pulled back on her bed. Mark stood up from the corner of the mattress where he had been sitting and helped Kelly climb into the bed, tucking the covers around her once she was settled. He sat down beside of her and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

"Get some sleep darlin'. I'm going to run to the store and get a few things and I'll be back in a little while."

She nodded her head, too tired to argue with him. She rolled onto her side and immediately drifted off to sleep. Mark sat and watched her until he was certain that she wouldn't awaken again, before finally leaving the room.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kelly woke up a few hours later, feeling much more refreshed. Slipping out of the bed, she headed to her bathroom and washed her face, then straightened her pony tail. She went back into her room and slipped on a pair of lounge pants and an oversized sweatshirt before leaving her bedroom. As she crossed the threshold to her room, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the kitchen. Mark was standing over the stove and whatever he was cooking smelled incredible. Looking around, she noticed that her living room had been straightened and the table was already set for dinner. She looked back at Mark questioningly as he walked toward her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Good evening sleepy head." he chuckled, as he walked past her toward the table.

"What are you doing?" she asked him softly as she watched him walk back to the stove.

"I'm making dinner. I don't know about you, but I'm starved."

"You can cook?" Kelly asked him, as she watched him stir the pot on top of the stove.

Mark chuckled again. "Yes. I can cook. I live by myself, remember. It was either learn to cook or starve to death. And you can tell by looking at me, I like food too much to go hungry."

Kelly smiled at him faintly. "What are you making?"

"It's a surprise. You just sit down and rest. It'll be ready in a few minutes."

Surprisingly, Kelly did as he told her. She still didn't have the energy to argue with him, even if she'd wanted to.

True to his word, he called her to the table within a few minutes time, holding her chair out for her as she took her seat. She smiled as he placed a bowl of soup in front of her.

"Chicken noodle soup?" she asked, eyeing it suspiciously.

"So you really made this, huh?" she asked, her eyes scanning the kitchen counters for signs of an open can.

"Yes, I did. All by myself." he snorted, faking indignation at her questioning tone, as he placed a grilled cheese sandwich next to the bowl of soup. "It's my mother's recipe."

"And I made that too." he added, pointing at the sandwich as he walked back to the stove.

"Wow. This is really good." she stated, sipping on a spoonful of the soup, as he joined her at the table. "Your mother must have been a very good cook."

"She was." he answered, taking a large sip of his own. "I suppose I got some of her talent in that area, at least."

"It's a good thing. I can't cook for shit." Kelly replied, snorting as Mark choked on his mouthful of food.

The conversation throughout the rest of their dinner was comfortable, both of them sticking to more pleasing topics, purposefully avoiding all the negativity that had surrounded them for the past twenty four hours, as well as the weeks leading up to their terrifying ordeal. Kelly stole frequent glances in his direction during occasional lulls in the conversation, still confused by the sudden evolution of their relationship. It was all so new to her, each of them being so civilized toward the other, and although most of her anger towards him had dissipated, she couldn't stop the suspicious thoughts from invading her mind. Was he truly concerned about her well being, or was this simply the beginning of another cruel plan? She wanted to believe, but past circumstances prevented her from giving in to her heart. All she knew was that she would have to stay on her toes while he was around. She couldn't give him an opportunity to hurt her again.

When they finished eating, Mark began to clear the table and Kelly attempted to help him, but her efforts were quickly shot down.

"Let me take care of this darlin'. You go relax." he fussed, motioning her toward the couch again.

"You don't have to wait on me hand and foot Mark. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." she snapped, frustrated at his actions. She didn't like the idea of other people waiting on her. It reminded her too much of the home she'd been raised in.

"I know you can take care of yourself darlin'. I just want to do this for you. Please just let me help you."

"Why?" Kelly shot back. "Do you think by helping me now, it will make up for everything else that you've done? You can do your good deed and clear your guilty conscience and then everything will be just fine! Is that it?"

Mark sighed and sank into the closest chair.

"That's not why I'm here and you know it." he replied calmly. "I am sorry for what I've done to you and I do want to make it up to you. But I'm not here simply to clear my conscience."

He paused for a moment, as he reached out and hooked a finger under Kelly's chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"I didn't realize until last night when I almost lost you, exactly how much you mean to me. Although I didn't want to admit it, I've known it for quite some time. I know we started out on the wrong foot, no thanks to my selfishness and stupidity. I just hoped that maybe you would give me another chance to make it up to you. I would really like to get to know you better. And I promise I'll try not to be such a jerk this time."

Kelly could only stare at him, too afraid of what might happen if she responded to him. She wasn't sure if she could give him what he was asking for. So many horrible things had already transpired between them. How was she supposed to just forget about the past?

Mark couldn't deny the look of indecision that was so evident on her face. Slowly, he removed his hand and resumed clearing the table.

"It's your decision darlin'" he stated softly, gathering a handful of dishes in his arms. "I'll abide by whatever you decide."

Kelly watched his back as he walked away toward the sink. Part of her wanted to tell him "YES!" and jump straight into his arms, but the other half kept her plastered in her chair. After everything that he had done, she just couldn't allow herself to trust him so easily.

Without a word, she moved to living room, where Mark had sent her to begin with, and flipped on the tv, ignoring the screen as she tried to process all of her rampant thoughts. Not long ago, it would have been an easy decision to make and she wouldn't have wasted a second contemplating it. How had things changed so drastically within just a few short days? How had this man that she had so passionately hated managed to work his way into her heart?

She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he finally joined her in front of the television, and despite her misgivings, she eventually found herself stretched out on the couch, her head resting on a pillow in his lap as he stroked her hair. His touch relaxed her, soothing away all of her doubts, and she closed her eyes and began to doze again.

Although he was unable to see her face, Mark could tell she was asleep by the steady rhythm of her breathing. Carefully easing out from under her so as not to wake her, he grabbed the bag that he'd carefully hidden away in her coat closet and slipped off into the bathroom for a quick shower. He hadn't voiced his opinion on the matter, but he had absolutely no intention of leaving her there alone. She was still weak and likely still frightened and he wanted to be there if she needed him. Mindful of the objections that she would raise, he kept the knowledge to himself, determined not to discuss the subject unless she broached it first.

Thirty minutes later he had shaved and showered, bothering only to slip on a pair of sweatpants before sneaking back into the living room. He noticed Kelly stirring slightly on the couch, her eyes blinking, then opening wide in surprise at the sight of him half-naked before her.

Even though she'd seem him like this before, she was still always surprised by the sight of the ink that covered most of his upper body. She let her eyes wander shamelessly over his bare chest and massive arms, remembering how good it felt to have those arms wrapped around her in the throes of passion. Scrambling to a sitting position as he took a seat beside her, she was immediate put on edge, unsure of what his intentions might be. Her eyes flicked to the artwork that covered the arm closest to her, traveling over each design as she tried to make sense of the overall pattern.

Mark chuckled softly as he watched her study him. "I don't bite darlin'. Come on over here and have a look at 'em if you want."

Her eyes drifting back to his face, she felt the warmth spread through her cheeks when she realized she'd been caught staring at him again. Hesitantly, she moved a little closer to him and he held out his arm, allowing her a better look..

"Why so many?" she asked softly, her finger lightly tracing the outline of a devil as she studied it.

"Just an addiction, I guess. I started out with one and really liked it so I went back to get another one. I guess somewhere along the line, I got a little carried away."

He paused for a minute as he watched her examine his other arm.

"Do they bother you?" he asked softly.

Kelly shook her head as she looked back up at him.

"No, they don't bother me. Just a little surprised, I guess. I just didn't expect something like this from someone like you." she replied.

"Well, appearances can be deceiving sometimes. I found that out myself." Mark replied, as he reached out and ran a finger down her cheek.

Kelly smiled faintly. She realized that she was unfairly trying to judge him, just like he had done to her. Just because he was a successful businessman didn't preclude him from having a tattoo. Or two. Or a hundred, for that matter.

Finally pulling her gaze away from the artwork on his body, she tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn and Mark frowned when he noticed how tired she still looked.

"Come here darlin'" he said, as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. "You look exhausted."

"I am tired." she replied weakly, not offering to fight him as he held her close.

For the first time, she was content to simply lay there quietly against him, enjoying his presence. He resumed stroking her hair as they sat in silence, and before long Kelly felt herself falling asleep again. Gently cradling her in his arms, he picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom, tucking her into bed once more. He brushed his lips against her forehead, then turned to leave the room, before he heard her softly call his name.

"Mark. Will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep. Please?"

Without saying a word, he stretched out on the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms again. She snuggled into the warmth of his body, content to enjoy the feeling of him lying next to her and she recalled the previous dream that she'd had, how safe she had felt in his arms. Like nothing in the world could touch her there. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the sound of his heart beat and before long, she was sound asleep once again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks again for the reviews! :-)**

**Chapter 13**

Kelly woke the next morning and she instinctively reached out for Mark, only to find that he wasn't there beside of her. Surprised, she rose from the bed and went in search of him. Exiting her room, she stopped just beyond the threshold, surprised to see him stretched out on her couch, still sound asleep. His feet were draped amusingly over the end of the sofa and she wondered, curiously, why he hadn't stayed in the bed with her. She thought that perhaps he was trying to give her some space while she considered what he had asked from her and she smiled as she decided that he might not be such a bad guy after all.

She tiptoed to the kitchen, trying to be quiet so she wouldn't wake him. Feeling hungry, she decided to fix them some breakfast. She opened the refrigerator and peered inside, grabbing a pack of bacon and the carton of eggs and placing them on the counter. Turning around to retrieve a pan from the cabinet beside the stove, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Mark standing there watching her.

"Shit! Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me!" she fussed, her hand over her heart. "Two minutes ago, you were laying there on the couch sound asleep. How in the hell can somebody your size be that quiet anyway?"

"Sorry darlin' I didn't mean to scare you. What are you doin' anyway?" he asked with a grin. He could tell she was feeling better. She was definitely getting some of her old spark back.

"I was going to make breakfast. But now after you've scared the livin' hell out of me, I might just let you go hungry!" she joked, even as she opened the pack of bacon and turned on the stove.

Mark grinned at her as she placed the bacon in the frying pan. She smiled back as she tried to sneak a peek at him.

"What were you doing on the couch this morning anyway? You could've shared the bed with me. It's not like you haven't done it before." she asked, glancing at him again as he paused.

"Well, before, I didn't give you much of a choice." he replied. "And I told you last night, the decision is yours. The next time I share your bed, it'll be because you want me to."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a quick shower. Sleeping on that damn couch all night just about broke my damn neck!" he added, rubbing it for emphasis as he walked away.

Kelly watched him disappear into her bedroom, momentarily stunned by his answer. What on earth had gotten in to him? She wondered for a moment if maybe aliens had kidnapped him and put another man in his body while she had been unconscious at the hospital.

She pondered his words, the scales beginning to tilt ever so slighty in his favor. Perhaps he'd truly been serious when he told her he wanted another chance with her. It certainly seemed like he was trying awfully hard to get on her good side, but she couldn't help but wonder how long it would last. With both of their quick tempers, she knew they had the potential to drive each other up the wall. She felt it was only a matter of time until things blew up in their faces.

_Well, I guess if he's going to try hard to make things work, maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt_, she thought. _Who knows what might happen?_

Staring again at the empty doorway, she shrugged her shoulders before turning her attention back to their breakfast cooking on the stove.

By the time Mark emerged from the bathroom, still clad only in his sweatpants, breakfast was ready. As with their dinner the previous night, they made small talk while they ate, Kelly finding it very hard to keep her gaze from wandering to his bare chest while she spoke to him. When they were done eating, Mark insisted on helping her do the dishes and he was elbow deep in water when the doorbell rang.

They glanced at each other momentarily and Kelly tossed the dishtowel on the counter as she started toward the door.

"It's probably George. He probably stopped by to make sure we haven't killed each other yet." she laughed, as she unhooked the chain and pulled the door open.

Gasping loudly, she froze when she saw her mother standing on the other side.

"Oh my goodness, dear! Are you alright?" she asked, rushing forward and grabbing Kelly in a big hug.

Stunned, Kelly couldn't bring herself to return the gesture.

"Mom, I'm fine." she stated calmly. "What are you doing here?"

Her mother released her and took a step back, smoothing out her clothes as she did so.

"I heard about the fire. I was just worried about you. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine Mom. Really." Kelly repeated, still shocked that her mother had even bothered to visit.

"Well, I heard that the fire was intentionally set." her mother added. "Do you have any idea who could have done such a ..."

Kelly quickly glanced at her mother again when she heard her voice trail off. Following her gaze, she realized that her mother was now staring at Mark, who was standing behind her, still bare-chested, his tattoos in plain sight for her mother to see. She flashed Mark a helpless look before turning her attention back to her mother.

"Uh, Mom, I'd like you to meet Mark Callaway. Mark this is my mother, Blanche Deveraux."

"I think we've met once before." Mark replied, glaring coldly at the woman, making no move forward to shake her hand.

The woman looked him up and down, then, ignoring him completely, she turned her attention back to Kelly.

"I'd like a word with you in private. Now!" she ordered, as she turned and headed toward the bedroom.

Kelly gave Mark an apologetic glance before she followed her mother into her room and closed the door.

"What in God's name is that awful man doing here in your apartment?" she demanded, even before the door had clicked shut.

"He's a friend mom. He's just making sure that I'm alright after everything that happened." Kelly replied.

"Well, did he forget to dress himself this morning? In case you didn't notice, he's almost naked. And those tattoos. Please tell me you haven't lowered yourself to sleeping with that kind of man!"

"And just what do you mean that kind of man! You don't know anything about him!" Kelly shot back. "As a matter of fact, he's the reason I'm still here. He followed me into a burning building and saved my life. But maybe since you don't think he's good enough for me, maybe I should have just refused to let him help me."

"That's not what I meant." her mother replied, surprised by the anger she heard in her daughter's voice.

"That's exactly what you meant. He's not worthy enough to save my life, right? I should have just let him leave me there to die! I should have just told him he wasn't good enough to save me! Then I wouldn't be here having this stupid conversation with you!"

"Kelly, calm down." her mother pleaded. "I'm just looking out for your well-being. I just don't want to see you get hurt…"

Kelly jerked the bedroom door open and stalked back to the front door, with her mother right on her heels. She opened the front door and motioned toward it as her mother continued to speak.

"Kelly please. Just listen to me. We can work this out.."

"I'm through listening to you Mom. I want you to leave. Now!" Kelly stated as she motioned toward the door again.

Her mother shot one last contemptuous glare at Mark, before storming out the door. Slamming the door behind her, Kelly felt the tears coming to her eyes again. What had she ever done to deserve such a horrible family? She jumped when she felt Mark's arms wrap around her waist.

"I'm sorry darlin'" he whispered softly, as he pulled her tightly against him.

Kelly turned into his chest and let the tears fall, unashamed to let Mark see her in this condition. In fact, she was once again grateful for his presence. Somehow, with him there, it made things seem so much better. For the first time since she had known him, she realized she was finally looking forward to having him in her life.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

They spent the rest of the day together, Mark trying his best to lift her spirits. Still upset over her mother's visit and finally coming to terms with the fact that the business she'd worked so hard to save was now gone, she just seemed so disheartened. He tried his best to convince her that she could always rebuild the barn. That if her customers were truly satisfied with her performance, they'd be there waiting on her when she was back up and running again. But for the first time since he'd met her, it seemed as if she'd lost all interest in trying to salvage her dreams. Much to his surprise, she even told him she didn't feel like it was worth it anymore.

He made her lunch and made sure that she ate every bite, before she slipped off to her room to take a nap. He settled her into the bed, then stretched out on the couch and flipped through the channels on the television, trying to find something to watch. He was just starting to doze himself, when a knock on the door jolted him awake.

_It better not be that old hag again_, he thought, his blood boiling as he strode across the room and jerked open the door, prepared to give Kelly's mother a piece of his mind if it was. Instead, he found a confused George, who'd jumped back a good five feet as the door was so forcefully opened.

George glared at Mark in surprise. He'd only wanted to come by and check on Kelly, just to make sure she was alright but the last thing he expected to find was Mr. Callaway answering her door. And half-naked at that. For a brief moment, his anger turned to shock, when he saw the tattoos that covered Mr. Callaway's arms and stomach. Like Kelly, George would have never envisioned Mr. Callaway as the type to have one tattoo, let alone be covered in them. But once he regained his composure, his shock once again turned to fury. It was obvious that he was making himself right at home in Kelly's apartment and that thought made his blood boil even more.

"What in the hell are you doin' here?" George snapped, as he pushed his way past him to get inside.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Mark closed the door and turned to face the other man. The last thing Kelly needed right now was for him to get into another shouting match with George.

"I'm here to take care of Kelly. She's still weak from her ordeal and I just want to make sure that nothing happens to her."

"I'm sure you do." George replied sarcastically. "You just couldn't wait to move in here and take advantage of her when she's so vulnerable, could you?"

"I'm only trying to look out for her well-being. That's it. I have no intentions of doing anything to hurt her." Mark answered.

"Don't stand there and lie to me, Mr. Callaway. I may be nothin' but an old washed up farmhand, but I'm not stupid. I can see exactly what you're doin'. You were the one that set that fire and almost killed her, and now you get to move in here and play hero so she thinks you're nothin' but a good ol' prince charmin'"

"Well, I'm not fallin' for it!" George continued. "I can see right through your plans Mr. Callaway. I know you were the one who set that fire, and I'm gonna prove it if it's the last thing I do!"

Mark closed his eyes, trying his best to maintain his composure. He'd heard just about enough of these crazy accusations. But before he could defend himself, a third voice pulled them from their intense conversation.

"Mark? What is he talking about?" Kelly asked softly, her gaze traveling back and forth between the two men. "Why is he saying you started the fire?"

Mark turned to find her standing behind him, once again dressed in her lounge pants and oversized sweatshirt. She had apparently showered recently, her hair still damp, a few loose strands of curls falling along her checks. At that precise moment, she looked so incredibly sexy to him that he was almost grateful for George's presence, fearful of what he might do if he were alone with her again.

As he gazed down at her, he could see the doubt begin to cloud her face. It was then that he felt the panic begin set in. There was no way he could let George's accusations ruin everything he had tried so hard to repair between them. Not when he was finally starting to make some progress with her. She'd finally let down some of her walls and given him a glimpse of the person she really was. But he knew if he lost her now, he would never have another opportunity with her. She might have been willing to give him a second chance, but he knew there was no way in hell she would ever give him a third.

"George here has got it in his head that I was somehow responsible for the fire. He thinks that I set it on purpose, just so I could save you and then take advantage of your weak state." Mark replied.

Kelly studied him, then glanced at George in confusion.

"George? Why on earth would you think Mark would have anything to do with the fire? Do you have some sort of proof that he was involved?"

_Mark? Did she just call him Mark?, _George thought to himself, as he looked from one to the other.

"No ma'am. I don't have any proof yet. But I find it more than just a coincidence that he just happened to show up at the barn that night when he did. And he sure didn't waste anytime movin' in here on you to help you out, now did he?" he replied.

Kelly looked back at Mark. She honestly hadn't considered the thought. What if George was right? What if Mark really did have something to do with the fire?

Now that George mentioned it, it did seem kind of funny that Mark just happened to show up at the barn on that particular night. But if he had planned it, how did he know for sure that she would run into a burning barn and that he would get the opportunity to save her? He couldn't have known for sure that she would do that. But if he had planned it, that would explain why he was suddenly being so nice and helpful towards her. Maybe he had set the fire and used it as a way to get on her good side, just like George had said. Maybe her fears about trusting him had been well founded after all.

Kelly frowned as her gaze traveled back and forth between the two men. This was getting more complicated by the minute. She trusted George more than anyone she had ever known. She knew he was a good man and that he would never do anything to harm her. She had always considered him to be a good friend and she trusted and valued his opinion above all others. So to hear him accuse Mark of setting the fire, it made Kelly wonder what George saw that she didn't. Maybe his accusations were well-grounded. Maybe they weren't. But without proof, neither of them could be absolutely certain.

On the other hand, Mark had been so kind and thoughtful towards her over the past couple of days and to be honest, she was starting to get used to the idea of having him around. She felt a sudden ache in her heart, when she thought about Mark possibly being involved with this whole thing. After everything that had happened between them, she found it hard to accept.

She sighed as she glanced at George and then Mark, who she noticed, was staring at her expectantly.

Friend?

Or lover?

Which one was she supposed to believe?


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Kelly studied Mark's face, looking for any sign that he might be lying about not being involved in the fire. He honestly didn't appear to be hiding anything. With a sigh, she turned her attention to George.

"George, I know you are just trying to look out for me. But really, you can't come barging in here, making all of these accusations without some kind of proof to back it up. I know Mark and I have had our differences in the past, but I honestly don't thing he would stoop to something so dangerous just to get back at me."

Frustrated by her refusal to consider the possibility of his allegations, he was more surprised to see that she was taking up for the man that, only days ago, he would have sworn she hated more than anything.

Shaking his head, George realized that without the proof she requested, any further protests would fall on deaf ears. Well, if proof was what she wanted, then proof was what he would give her. And he wouldn't stop looking until he found something that would prove that Mark was at fault.

"Alright Miss Kelly. I just came by to check on you and make sure you're okay. But now that I see you're fine, I'll just go. I'll talk to you in a day or two." he conceded, heading toward the door.

Kelly followed behind him and gave him a hug. "Thanks for coming by to check on me George."

She watched him walk across the parking lot and climb into his truck, before she closed the door and turned back to Mark. He could see in her eyes that she was still contemplating George's comments. Even if she'd stood up for him in front of George, he could still see the doubt clearly written all over her face. He remained silent as he watched her walk towards him.

"Mark, tell me the truth. Did you have anything to do with that fire?" she asked again. He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was daring him to lie to her.

He reached out and cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look up at him.

"I had absolutely nothin' to do with the fire. It was purely a coincidence that I happened to show up at the barn that night. The only reason I was there was because I had already been here lookin' for you. When I realized you weren't home yet, I figured there was only one other place I could find you."

Kelly nodded, studying him, searching for any sign of deception.

"You almost died in that fire darlin'." he continued. "Even as cold-hearted as I've been in the past, there's no way I would ever take a chance like that with you."

Kelly remained silent as he leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. She wanted so badly to believe what he was telling her, but George's accusations kept pushing their way into her mind.

His thumbs brushed across her cheeks, his gaze dipping from her eyes, down to her lips. He wanted so badly to kiss her again. To sample her sweetness with his own. But he was afraid to give himself permission, fearful that once he started, he wouldn't be able to stop.

Kelly watched him, her own longing threatening to rise within her and take over. She moved ever so slightly, visualizing herself wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him to her, allowing all of the horrid accusations to fall to the wayside. But even as she advanced toward him, the ringing of the phone forced them apart, and Kelly was suddenly grateful for the interruption, when she realized what she had been about to do.

She strode across the room to answer the phone, Mark watching her briefly before taking a seat on the couch. Likewise, he berated himself for his lack of restraint, knowing that the wrong move at the wrong time could ruin everything that he was trying so hard to salvage. At the same time, he struggled to find the right words that would help convince her that he was innocent with regards to the fire. He couldn't let her push him away. He was too close to winning her trust to let that happen.

"Who was that on the phone?" he asked, turning toward her when he heard her hang up, surprised to see that she was nearly in tears.

"What's wrong darlin'?", he asked, rushing to her side. "Don't tell me that was your mother again."

Kelly wiped a couple of tears from her face, shaking her head.

"No, it was one of the detectives from the hospital. They want me to come down to their office and answer some questions." she replied.

"Surely they're not still tryin to pin this on you, are they?" Mark asked in shock.

"They didn't say for sure. But that's the impression that I get." she answered softly. "What am I going to do Mark? I know this looks bad. How can I prove to them that it wasn't me?"

"Don't worry darlin'. You go get dressed and I'm going to call my attorney. I'll have him meet us at the station. He'll make sure that everything's taken care of."

Wiping more tears from her eyes, Kelly headed to her bedroom to change. Mark watched her disappear into her room, then picked up the phone and dialed his attorney. Right now, they needed all the help they could get. Because there was no way he in hell he was going to let them try and pin this on her!

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

They arrived at the police station and while Mark tried his best to remain by Kelly's side, the detectives insisted on talking to them separately. Apparently, they were still suspicious of his behavior as well, since he appeared to have more than a business association with her.

Two new detectives arrived and directed Mark to a separate room for questioning. In between the questions and accusations, he glanced frequently at the clock, silently cursing his attorney for being so slow. He had no issue handling these two jerks, but he was more concerned with what was going on in the other room with Kelly. She needed his attorney's support much more than he did.

Accompanied by Detective Grayson and Detective Martin, Kelly remained enclosed in a separate room, nervously wringing her hands as she faced their inquiry. They fired off one question after another, sometimes at the same time, in an attempt to confuse her. They were doing it on purpose, of course, trying to catch her in a lie, and she was nearly frustrated to tears by the fact they refused to believe her innocence. Her eyes flickering occasionally toward the door, she wished more than anything that Mark was here with her. She needed his strength and support to stand up against these two jerks. She wondered, briefly, what might be happening in the other room, knowing with his quick temper, he was probably giving those two other detectives hell!

Kelly knew, with a sinking feeling in her gut, that the odds were starting to stack against her. The fact that she'd been having financial problems right before the fire gave her the motive to want to destroy everything, at least in their eyes. And the fact that she had paid all of her delinquent debts off right before this happened seemed to have little weight with them, since she apparently had such a close relationship with her banker. They had even accused the two of them of working in tandem to commit the crime, both of them receiving the benefit of the proceeds. The more they talked and threatened, the more hopeless she felt. They were truly dead set on pinning the crime on her, even if they had nothing more than circumstantial evidence.

Almost as if on cue, Mark's attorney arrived, cutting off their aggressive line of questioning. After instructing them to leave the room so he could confer with Kelly, he reviewed the details of the night in question, then left the room in search of the detectives.

He was gone for a long while, longer than she had hoped he would be and Kelly was starting to get nervous at being left alone for so long, although she was thankful that the detectives had not returned. What if the attorney couldn't help her? If he failed, she had no other options. Her fate seemed to rest in the hands of a man that she didn't even know, which only added another level to the fear swirling through her stomach.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the two detectives finally returned, and Kelly's hopes fell when she saw that the attorney was not with them.

"Well, Ms. Deveraux. I'm sorry we've kept you here for so long. You're free to go." Dectective Grayson stated, with far less emotion than he'd shown only minutes earlier.

"I see my attorney convinced you that this was all a mistake." she said, grateful that the ordeal appeared to be over.

"No ma'am. Actually, you're banker friend in the other room confessed to setting the fire. He insisted that he acted alone. Since we have no proof that you were involved, you're free to go."

Kelly could only stare at the detective in shock, before looking past him to the hallway outside just in time to see Mark pass by. He was being led down the hallway by the two other detectives, his hands cuffed behind his back, his attorney following closely behind them.

Mark knew Kelly was close by, but he tried not to think about her as he walked down the corridor. He didn't want to face her right now. Not like this. But he couldn't help but stop when he heard her call his name.

"Mark? What's going on? What is this?" she asked softly, her voice full of hurt and confusion.

He turned around slowly and looked at her, his heart breaking at the pain and confusion in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I lied to you darlin'. It was me. I was the one who set the fire. I'm so sorry."

That was all he was able to say to her, before the men tugged on his arm and urged him further down the hallway. Kelly stood dumbfounded as she watched him walk away, the tears already forming in her eyes. So George had been right after all. Mark had been the one to start the fire, nearly killing her in the process.

_How could I have been so stupid, _she berated herself, as she thought back to everything that had happened between them in the past. _I should have known better than to have ever trusted that man!  
_  
"Well it won't happen again" she stated aloud, watching as he disappeared from sight. "As of right now, you are out of my life for good Mark Calloway! And as far as I'm concerned, you'll get everything that you deserve!"

With that said, she turned and walked away, never once giving a second glance in the direction he'd gone.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

When Kelly returned to her apartment, she went inside and collapsed on the couch in tears. After all that he'd done to help her over the past couple of days, she couldn't believe that Mark had actually confessed to setting the fire. He had destroyed her dreams, her hopes, her future. And he had almost killed her in the process.

Suddenly all of George's accusations made more sense. It explained why Mark happened to show up at the barn that night. It explained why he had suddenly become so nice to her. Why he was so interested in helping her. But even as those thoughts crossed her mind, something else nagged at her. Something about the whole thing didn't seem right. Mark had vehemently denied having anything to do with the fire earlier, so why the sudden confession? If he had been trying so hard to hide the truth from her, what could have possibly made him change his mind? Was it because they were trying to pin the fire on her? But if he thought enough about her to want to protect her from that, why would he purposely endanger her life to begin with?

Kelly sighed deeply between sobs as the different thoughts jumbled together in her mind. She wasn't sure what hurt the most, that Mark had actually been involved or the fact that he wasn't there now to comfort her. After having him around for the past couple of days, her apartment suddenly felt cold and empty. Looking around the room, Kelly noticed his bag sitting in the corner where he'd left it. Staring at it, she walked across the room and picked it up, then carried it back to the couch to rummage through it. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for. Only that maybe something would stand out to her and give her some clue as to what the hell was going on.

When she was finished sorting through the bag, and finding nothing, she carefully placed the contents back like she had found them, all except one of his large shirts. Holding the shirt in her lap, she ran her fingers over the cloth and down the buttons, remembering their first night together. How he had boldly demanded that she undress him. How badly her fingers had trembled as she tried to unfasten the buttons.

Kelly felt a wave of emotion hit her at the thought and, surprisingly, it only increased her longing for him even more. Even through her tears, she couldn't help but grin as she thought of how ironic it all was. The man had done his best to humiliate and embarrass her. And only an hour ago, she'd discovered that he almost tried to kill her. Yet, her she was, still longing to be in his arms once again.

Gripping the shirt tightly in her hands, she raised it to her face and inhaled his warm scent. She closed her eyes and suddenly felt transported back in time, to another time and place, when she was protected safely in his arms. The smell alone brought back so many of the intense emotions that he stirred within her. Unfortunately, all of those feelings had apparently meant nothing to him. And now he was gone for good. There was no way she could ever let him back into her life now. Not after what had happened today.

Lying down on the couch, she clutched the shirt tightly to her chest as she finally cried herself to sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sometime later, Kelly was awakened by a furious pounding on the door. Looking around the room groggily for a moment, she finally got up and stumbled across the floor to open it.

"Miss Kelly.. are you alright?" George asked, his voice full of concern as he barged into her apartment. "I just heard about what happened. I wanted to come by and make sure you were okay."

Kelly shut the door, her shoulders sagging.

"I'm doing okay I guess. But, how did you hear about it so soon George? How did you know what happened?"

"Mr. Callaway called me." he replied. "That no good bum told me that he had confessed to setting the fire and he wanted me to come by and check on you and make sure that you were alright."

"Mark called you?" Kelly repeated in confusion. How concerned had Mark been in order for him to call George?

"That sorry bastard! It's a good thing they've got him locked up down there at that police station or I'd beat his ass myself! I can't believe that he would be stupid enough to try something so dangerous…. "

Kelly sat down on the couch and dropped her face to her hands as she listened to George rant and rave. That nagging feeling in the back of her mind was tugging at her stronger now, telling her that something about this whole situation was all wrong. Looking back up at George, she debated on whether or not to try to explain her doubts to him, but then she decided against. He was so dead set on hating Mark, she didn't think there was anyway he would ever consider the possibility that he might not have been involved. She watched him pace back and forth across the floor, as he continued to fuss about one thing or another, until she finally couldn't take anymore.

"George! Would you please sit down! You're driving me crazy!" she yelled, causing him to stop in his tracks

"I'm sorry darlin'. I guess I got a little carried away." he replied, as he took a seat next to her on the couch. "So, you really doin' alright?"

"I don't know George." she replied, trying to fight back the tears again. "I'm so confused right now. I don't know what to think."

George smiled at her sympathetically as he reached out and patted her on the knee.

"I'm sorry Miss Kelly. I know how much you wanted to believe it wasn't him."

Kelly could only nod as a couple of random tears trickled down her cheeks. He was right. She wanted nothing more than to believe that it hadn't been Mark that had set the fire. It's what she still wanted. But her hopes seemed to be dashed a little more with each passing minute.

Another knock at the door broke the silence of the room, and Kelly reluctantly went to open it again, hoping beyond all hope that it wasn't more bad news. But she was in no way prepared for the person she found on the other side.

"Mark? What are you doing here?" she asked, completely stunned as she looked up at him.

"I need to talk to you darlin'. Let me in." he replied.

Kelly stared at him, momentarily to stunned to speak, before finally coming to her senses.

"I don't have anything else to say to you. You lied to me Mark. I trusted you. And you lied to me. There's nothing left for us to discuss." she replied, attempting to shut the door. But Mark quickly reached out and stopped her.

"No Kelly, listen to me. I didn't lie to you. I didn't start that fire.. "

"What are you talking about? The detectives said you confessed." she replied in disbelief. "First you say you didn't do it, then you confess, then you take your confession back. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying this little game Mark because personally, I don't find it very amusing."

Kelly tried once again to close the door, but Mark's arm wouldn't allow it to budge.

"I didn't set that fire Kelly. I just confessed so they would get off of your back. I wanted them to leave you alone."

"What?" she asked softly, staring at him in confusion.

Noticing that he finally had her distracted for a moment, he took the opportunity to slip by her and enter her apartment. By this time, George was already on his feet and he met Mark just inside the doorway.

"You've got a lot of damn nerve showin' up here again with all of your bald- face lies." George yelled, getting right in Mark's face. "You've already confessed to settin' that fire, so don't even try comin' around here and actin' the part of the big hero. You get out of here and leave this poor girl alone, or so help me God, I'll throw your ass outta here!"

"Get out of my face George." Mark replied, his voice surprisingly calm considering the circumstances. Kelly realized immediately that she needed to get George out of the way before Mark did something to hurt him.

"George!" she yelled, her voice causing him to turn away from Mark. "I can handle him myself. You can go on home now. I'll be fine. I just need to talk to Mark alone for a few minutes.

George's gaze never left Mark's face as he spoke to Kelly.

"There's no way I'm going to leave you here alone with him!"

"Please just leave George." Kelly replied, her patience wearing thin. "I'll be fine. Just go and leave us alone."

Reluctantly, George finally backed down and slowly headed toward the door. He jerked it opened and shot one last look back at Mark.

"I swear to God if you do anything else to hurt her, I'll make you pay dearly!" George stated coldly, before he walked out the door and slammed it behind him.

When he was gone Mark turned back to Kelly and took a step toward her, reaching out for her. Kelly instinctively pulled away from his touch and took a step backwards.

"What the hell is going on here Mark? What are you trying to pull?" she asked angrily.

"I told you darlin'. I'm just tryin' to protect you. I lied to the police and told them I set the fire so they would leave you alone. I called George to have him come and stay with you while I had my attorney take care of the paperwork and post my bail. As soon as they released me, I came straight here. I'm sorry if I hurt you darlin'. I just didn't want you to take the fall for this."

Kelly closed her eyes and tried to steady herself. She wanted so badly to believe him but things had gotten so confusing...

She jumped when she felt his hands on her face. Opening her eyes, she found him only inches from her. Holding her breath, she closed her eyes again and shivered as she felt his lips brush against hers. The contact lasted for only a second, but the electricity was so intense it felt as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. Mark broke the kiss and she opened her eyes again and stared up into his dark green ones, as he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you darlin'. Please forgive me." he whispered softly.

_God .. that voice_, she thought to herself, as he spoke. How could she ever resist that sound?

"What do we do now?" she asked softly, finally feeling brave enough to trust him. "What's going to happen to you?"

"Well, unless we figure out who really did start the fire, it looks like I might be goin' away for a while." he replied.

Kelly shook her head. The thought of him being gone again scared her. She didn't want to be away from him ever again.

"How are we going to figure out who did it?" she asked. "I mean we don't know if it was somebody that we know. Somebody that had a problem with me or the stables. I mean it could have just been a random act, somebody out to have a good time. How would we ever find somebody like that?"

"Actually, I've been thinkin' about that. We know that it wasn't you or me that started the fire. And if George was with you, it couldn't have been him.. "

"Exactly. If it wasn't any of us, then who could it have been? I honestly don't know of anybody else who would hate me bad enough to want to try and kill me." Kelly replied.

"I've been thinking about that. And I did come up with someone. Maybe. But I'm not sure and I really don't want to jump to conclusions. " Mark stated, frowning down at her.

"Well, who? Who do you think it could be?"

"Well, I was talkin' to those detectives earlier, when they questioned me about the fire. And I asked them how they knew it wasn't an accident. They said that they found traces of some type of flammable liquid all around the barn."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kelly asked.

"Well, I asked them about an article I had read in the local newspaper about the fire, the morning after, while you were still in the hospital. The article didn't mention the fact that the fire was intentionally started. I asked them why the newspaper had omitted that fact. They told me that they hadn't mentioned that fact to the reporter who had written the article. In fact, they told me that they hadn't mentioned that fact to anybody, other than the three of us in the hospital room that day. He told me that until they knew for sure whether it was one of us who set the fire, he didn't want to scare off any other potential suspects by letting them know that arson was suspected."

"What's your point Mark?" Kelly asked in frustration. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Before I tell you, I just want you to know that this is just a hunch that I've got. I don't know anything thing for sure.. "

"For goodness sakes Mark! Who is it!" she yelled.

"I think it was... your mother." Mark stated on a shaky breath.

"What?" Kelly looked at him as if he had just slapped her across the face. "My mother? Why would you.. what are you talking about?"

"Remember that day she came here to check on you.. after the fire? She mentioned that she heard the fire was intentionally set. But if that fact wasn't reported in the newspapers and if the police didn't release that information to anyone outside of the department, how did she know that?" Mark asked.

Kelly grabbed blindly for the couch as sunk down onto the cushions.

"There's no way Mark. I know how cruel my mother can be but... I mean she has money and everybody knows her and my father. Maybe they talked to someone inside the police department and they just let it slip. Or maybe it was just gossip. You know how people like to gossip about different things. Just because she knew about it doesn't mean... "

Kelly's voice trailed off when she glanced up at Mark and saw the way he was looking at her, his face full of pity. She realized then that it was pointless to try to defend her mother to him. He'd seen all too well the things her family members were capable of doing.

"Look darlin'." Mark replied softly as he took a seat beside of her. "I don't want you to think I'm just tryin' to upset you again, because I'm not. I told you, it's just a hunch. Right now, I don't have any proof that it was her. And hopefully, we'll find out that it wasn't. But unless we figure out who really set that fire, then I'm going to be going to jail for arson."

Kelly tried to block out Mark's reasoning, desperately not wanting to believe that what he was telling her might be true. Her own mother a suspect? Surely her mother would never stoop to something so low. So dangerous.

But then Kelly thought back to how much she hated that place. How much she hated the fact that Kelly was working at such a menial job. She was sure that her mother thought those stables were the only thing standing in the way of her daughter having a successful career as a doctor. Of having the fame and success and good fortune that came with it.

It was at that moment that Kelly knew Mark most likely was right. And if he was, if her mother was the one that actually started the fire, it would be a cold day in hell before she'd let Mark take the blame for it.

"What are we going to do about it?" she asked Mark, as her gaze met his once again. "How are we going to find out whether or not it was her?"

Mark looked at Kelly, surprised for a moment by her sudden change in attitude. But then he saw the look of determination on her face and he knew at that moment that she was behind him one hundred percent.

"Well, darlin'.. I think I might have a plan.. "


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Kelly paced back and forth across the floor of her apartment as she waited for her mother to arrive. Mark had laid out his plans carefully and she had agreed without hesitation to go along with them. So, per his instructions, she'd called her mother in hysterics, telling her that she needed to speak with her immediately. That something terrible had happened. Her mother had, of course, agreed to come over right away and now all Kelly had to do was wait for her to arrive.

Mark sat on the couch and watched as she paced back and forth across the floor. He felt bad for her. He could see how much the possibility of the outcome upset her. Although Mark had no doubt that her mother was responsible for the fire, he knew that Kelly would have her reservations, even if she and her mother had their differences. And he felt torn. Regardless of what happened, neither outcome would be good. He just hoped that he wouldn't be forced to shoulder the blame.

"Sit down darlin'. You're startin' to make me nervous." he said. Kelly stopped her pacing long enough to look out the window. Then she turned to look at him.

"Are we doing the right thing, Mark? I feel so low, having to pull something like this on my own mother."

"I know but it's the only way we'll find out for sure."

Kelly jumped as a knock sounded at the door. Giving Mark one last pleading glance, she slowly opened it. Her mother rushed into the room and quickly pulled her into a hug.

"Are you alright, dear?" she asked, before taking a step back. "What is going on? What was so urgent that you needed to see me about? When you called me, you were crying so hard I couldn't understand... "

Her mother's voice trailed off when she saw Mark sitting on the couch, staring at her. She glanced back at Kelly for a moment, before turning toward Mark again.

"Are you the cause of all this?" she asked angrily, motioning toward Kelly, who was crying again. "What have you done to her?"

Mark opened his mouth to reply, but Kelly beat him to it.

"It's not about him Mom." she stated. "It's about me. It's about the barn."

"Kelly, dear. Please tell me you didn't drag me all the way over her, just to listen to you cry over some smelly old barn."

"They think I did it on purpose Mom" Kelly sniffled.

"They think you did what?" her mother replied, as she cast another glance toward Mark.

"The police. They think I intentionally set the fire in order to get the insurance money."

Her mother could only stare at her in disbelief.

"Well, that's ridiculous. Of course you wouldn't do such a thing. I'll contact your father's attorney as soon as I get home and I'll get this whole mess straightened out. As soon as I threaten them with a lawsuit, I'm sure they'll come to their senses."

"No Mom. I've already talked to Mark's attorney. He's one of the best lawyers in town and even he told me that things didn't look good for me."

Her mother stared at her for a moment longer, before turning her gaze back to Mark.

"Are you just going to sit there and let this happen? Are you going to let her take the blame for something that you've done? I saw you hanging around the barn that day. I knew you looked like you were up to no good... "

"Mom, it wasn't Mark. He was in a business meeting until late that evening, before he happened to come along and save me. He has an iron-clad alibi. It wasn't him." Kelly lied, knowing good and well if Mark had a perfect alibi, the detectives would have never accepted his confession.

Now her mother stood between them, frantically looking from one to the other as she tried to figure out what to do next.

"What am I going to do Mom?" Kelly asked. "If they don't find out who really started that fire, I'm going to go to jail."

"This is just ridiculous!" her mother yelled. "Just because the fire was started on purpose doesn't give them the right to accuse you of doing it. I'm going to go right down there and talk to those detectives and get this whole mess straightened out!"

"How did you know the fire was intentionally set?" Mark asked, as he finally rose from his seat.

Kelly's mother looked at him in shock, surprised that he'd interrupted her, as she watched him stalk toward her.

"She just said that they accused her of setting the fire. Weren't you listening?" her mother replied, exasperated.

Mark shook his head. "But you knew before today. When you came to see her after the fire, you told her that day that you heard the fire was intentional. How did you know about it then?"

"It was in all the papers. But then someone like you obviously wouldn't know that. I mean do you even know how to read?" she shot back before dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

Kelly glanced helplessly at Mark as she felt her heart constrict.

"It wasn't in the papers." he replied, his tone softening for Kelly's benefit.

"What are you talking about?" her mother replied, turning around to face him again.

"It wasn't in the papers. The detectives told us that they intentionally omitted that fact when discussing the case with the public." he repeated.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Kelly asked softly, trying to hold back the real tears that were now threatening to fall. "You did this. You hated that place so bad, you couldn't wait to get rid of it."

"Kelly, it's not what you think. I swear I was only doing what I thought was best for you. That's all. I had no idea that you would actually be crazy enough to run into a burning building... "

"I almost died in that fire!" Kelly shouted, her temper suddenly getting the best of her.

"I'm sorry dear. Believe me, I never intended for that to happen. I just thought... I thought if I finally got you away from that dreadful place, then maybe you would finally come home and have a normal life."

"Well, I guess your little dream won't be coming true now will it?" Kelly asked sarcastically.

"Kelly please... "

"Once the police find out that it was really you who set that fire, you're going to go to jail. And then maybe, just maybe, once I'm rid of you, I _can _finally have a normal life!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I have no intention of telling the police anything! Can you imagine the scandal? A Deveraux? Being sent to prison? We'll do something to make this go away. And then we can both get on with our lives."

"No Mom! You did this. You can be the one who suffers the consequences!"

"I told you I have no intentions of confessing to anything. And if you mention anything to them, then I'll just deny it all. It's bad enough that you are trying to destroy your own reputation! I won't let you try and destroy the family name!"

"It's a little too late for that now, don't you think Mom?"

"What are you talking about?" her mother replied.

"Come on out George." Kelly yelled.

They all turned and watched George appear from his hiding place in the closet, video recorder in hand. He held it up and smiled and Kelly watched as all of the color drained out of her mother's face.

"Call the detective Mark." Kelly stated softly as she looked up at him.

"Already been takin' care of." George replied, as he held up Kelly's cell phone.

"I'm not going to let you stand here and ruin your family." her mother replied, as she headed toward the door. But Mark quickly blocked her path and propped himself up against the doorway.

"Gotta get through me first." he stated with a cold smile.

"Kelly. Don't do this." she pleaded, as she turned back toward her daughter. "How much money do you want? I'll pay you enough to build another barn. A bigger barn. Twice the size of the old one. I'll pay you whatever you ask. Just please, don't do this. Think about your father. He'll be the laughing stock of the hospital."

Kelly could only stare at her in shock, unable to believe that her mother could really be so cold and heartless. She had almost killed her only daughter and all she could think about was her husband's reputation.

Shaking her head, Kelly turned and walked into her bedroom and closed the door.

Within minutes, the detectives arrived and reviewed the footage that George had recorded, then arrested Kelly's mother. Taking statements from both George and Mark, they took possession of the video and went on their way. As they pulled out of the parking lot, George turned and looked at Mark.

"I guess I owe you an apology." he stated, as he held out his hand to Mark.

"That's alright George. I know you were just lookin' out for Kelly." he replied, as he extended his own hand.

"Speakin' of which. Why don't you go on it there and take care of her? She needs somebody with her right now." George replied, as he motioned toward the door.

Nodding his head, Mark turned to go to her.

"Just remember.. " George added, as he walked toward his truck. "You hurt my girl and I'll kick your ass!"

Mark smiled and waved at George before he disappeared inside the apartment and closed the door. Looking around, he noticed that Kelly was still in her bedroom. He walked towards the closed door and knocked softly before opening it and peaking inside. He saw Kelly curled up on the bed, sobbing. He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his lap.

"I'm sorry darlin'" he whispered softly, as he rocked her in his arms and stroked her hair.

He held her close while she continued to cry, until he finally noticed that she was asleep. Gently laying her down on the bed, he stared at her for a moment before an idea came to him. Smiling, he went to her closet and pulled out a suitcase and began to fill it. Once he was done, he took their bags out to his truck, then came back inside to get her. He gently carried her sleeping form and laid her down in the backseat of the cab, then climbed in and started the truck. Looking over his shoulder one last time, he silently hoped that she wouldn't wake up until they reached their destination.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Mark pulled into the driveway and got out of the truck, leaving Kelly alone in the back seat as he carried their bags into the house. Coming back outside, he shook her gently, trying to wake her.

"Wake up darlin'. I've got a surprise for you." he whispered, as he softly nuzzled her neck.

She began to stir and then she opened her eyes and looked at him, taking note that she was no longer in her apartment.

"Where are we?" she asked sleepily, as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Come on. Let me show you." he said, as he grabbed her hand and helped her out of the truck.

Kelly stood in shock as she stared at the large house in front of her.

"It's beautiful." she whispered. "Who does it belong to?"

Mark grinned. "It's mine."

"Yours?" she repeated, as she turned and looked at him in astonishment, before erupting into a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny?" Laughter was certainly not the response he had hoped for.

"It's so ironic." she replied between giggles, as she held her side.

"What is?" Mark asked, still looking at her as if she'd gone crazy.

"This is nicer than anything my parents have ever owned. And you're.. you have.. they think… " Kelly stuttered as she motioned toward the tattoos on his arms, which were left uncovered by the t-shirt that he was wearing.

Suddenly he understood and he began to laugh along with her. "I guess it is a little funny isn't it?" he asked, when he finally caught his breath again.

Still grinning, he grabbed Kelly by the hand and led her inside. He showed her around the house before taking her to one of the spare bedrooms and leading her inside.

"Now, you sit right here on the bed for just a moment and I'll be right back."

She did as he asked without question, although the longer he was gone, the more confused she became. She was beginning to think that he'd forgotten about her, before he finally stepped through the doorway again. Taking her hand again, he led her back down into the kitchen, where the table was all set for dinner. He led Kelly to her chair and helped her sit down.

"Ok, don't tell me you made all of this yourself." she stated, taking in the table before them. "When did you have the time?"

"No, I didn't cook tonight. If I had, it certainly wouldn't look anything like this. Actually, I found this excellent little restaurant across town and I paid them extra to deliver it here for us. I didn't think you would feel up to going out anywhere this evening." he replied.

She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"Are you sure you're the same man I knew a couple of months ago?" she giggled and Mark smiled in response.

They talked quietly while they ate their dinner, and Mark tried to keep the conversation away from the day's events. He didn't want her any more upset than she already was. When they finished eating, he cleared the table, then instructed her to remain seated until he came back for her. Once again, he was gone for several minutes until he reappeared in the room.

"Come on. Follow me." he stated, as he grabbed her hand again.

He led her back upstairs and into another huge bedroom. Kelly looked around and she could immediately tell that this was his room. The color. The furniture. It was bigger. Darker. With a very masculine feel. And she had to admit, it suited him well.

They traveled through the room, into the large master bathroom, where the huge tub was full and ready for her. Everything had already been laid out for her, including a black satin nightgown, which she recognized as belonging to her, even though she'd never had opportunity to wear it before.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, as she pointed to it.

Mark grinned madly as he pulled her against him. "I packed your bags while you were asleep. I had a real good time sorting through your underwear drawer."

Kelly's face turned a bright red as she turned to look at him.

"You didn't!" she gasped, as she tried to stifle her embarrassment.

He chuckled. "Yep! And if you think that's bad," he stated as he pointed toward the nightgown, "then you should see what else I packed!"

She turned back away from him, still embarrassed even though she was grinning at him. Mark pulled her back against him once more and kissed the back of her neck.

"You just relax and enjoy your bath. Take as long as you like and when you're done, I'll be out here waiting on you." he said.

She smiled as she watched him leave the room and close the door. Quickly getting undressed, she stepped into the tub and disappeared into the bubbles.

Mark rushed toward one of the spare bathrooms, so he could shower while Kelly took a bath. When he was done, he slipped on a pair of jeans and headed back to his bedroom to wait.

She made him wait for quite a while and he was beginning to worry that maybe she had drowned herself in the tub, when she finally opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. Mark felt his breath catch in his throat when he looked up and saw her. The nightgown had been a good choice. It fit every curve seductively and left very little to the imagination. She hesitantly moved closer to him, smiling when she saw the look on his face.

"Come here." he whispered huskily, motioning her toward him.

"Are you trying to order me around again." she teased.

"Yes." he replied with a straight face. "Come here. Now."

She walked towards him slowly, but by the time she had reached the bed, he had already broken into a smile himself. Sliding under the covers, he pulled them back and invited her to join him. Kelly hesitated for a moment before finally climbing into the bed beside of him.

"You look beautiful darlin'" Mark said softly, as he gathered her in his arms and pulled her close.

Kelly snuggled up against him, shivering as she felt his hand brush up her arm and across her shoulder, before coming to rest against her hair. She laid there beside of him for a long time, waiting for him to make the first move. By the time she had finished with her bath, she was convinced that seducing her had surely been on his agenda for the night. But now she was laying here beside of him, and he was doing nothing more than holding her.

_Maybe he fell asleep_, she thought, confused when he still didn't try anything. She moved slightly in his arms to try to get a look at his face and she felt them tighten around her. Nope, he wasn't asleep. Finally, her curiosity got to be too much and she broke the silence.

"Mark?" she asked cautiously. "What are you doing?"

"I'm laying here with my favorite girl. What do you think I'm doing?" he replied with a chuckle. He knew why she seemed so confused.

"That's not what I meant." Kelly snapped, giving him a playful slap on the arm.

"Then what did you mean?" he asked.

She huffed in frustration before she finally realized what he was up to. If things were going to go any further tonight, then she realized he was waiting on her to make the first move.

An evil thought suddenly came to her mind, and a huge grin spread across her face. If that's the way he wanted to play, then that's exactly what she would do. Maybe it was her turn to make him beg for what he wanted.

Kelly pulled herself free from his arms and scooted up in the bed so she was facing him. He smiled at her again and reached out to caress her check. Leaning in closer to him, she softly brushed her lips against his. Feeling his lips part slightly, she pressed against them a little harder, flicking her tongue lightly against them and nibbling gently on his bottom lip. He moaned into her mouth and she grew bolder, sliding her tongue into his mouth and using it to stroke his own. He ran his hand up her back and fisted her hair, as he fought the urge to roll her onto her back and take control. But he remembered the promise that he had made to her and he was determined to let her do this at her own pace.

Finally breaking the kiss, Kelly moved to his neck, then his ears, then his throat, as she licked and teased his sensitive skin. Moving down his body, she gently bit and sucked his nipples, before moving lower to tickle his belly button. She paused for a moment to examine the tattoos on his stomach, before sliding her hand beneath the waistband of his jeans.

If his restraint had been tested before, it was nothing compared to the fire that rushed through him as she flicked the button, pulled down the zipper and took him in her hand. She stroked him lightly and he was unable to stifle the groan that escaped from his throat as he pressed himself against her. She teased him for a few moments, pleased with herself, before reluctantly releasing him. Rising up on her knees, she grabbed the waistband of his pants and pulled them down his long legs.

Moving back up his body, she paused and studied his hardened shaft as she wrapped her hand around him again. She stroked him for a moment, smiling when she felt him thrust against her. Then finally feeling brave, she leaned over his body and replaced her fingers with her tongue. This brought a loud moan of surprise from him and Kelly grinned as she felt his hands lace through her hair.

Following the precedent that he'd set, she teased him endlessly, just as he had teased her all those nights they'd shared together. Bringing him just to the brink and then pulling back right before he went over the edge, she tormented him over and over again, determined to make him beg for what he wanted. And finally, whether he realized what she was trying to do or not, he gave her what she was looking for.

"Oh God, darlin'" he growled, as he reached out and grabbed another handful of hair. "I cant' take any more…."

Kelly smiled and continued to stroke him with one hand as she gazed up at him.

"Say please."

"What?" With effort, Mark opened his eyes and glared down at her.

"Say please." she repeated, grinning

"I absolutely will not!" he growled, hissing as she slowed her movements. "Come on baby. Don't stop."

"I'm waiting." she chuckled. She was enjoying this way more than she should.

"Dammit woman! This is no time for games!" He groaned as she picked up her speed again.

"Say it!" Kelly repeated again. "Or I'll stop."

Mark groaned loudly again, fighting the urge to grab her up and throw her onto the bed. Even through his clouded mind, he knew she wasn't going to let this end this until he did as she asked.

"Please" he moaned, growling as her rhythm changed yet again.

"Say pretty please with a cherry on top!" she demanded, as she struggled hard to stifle a laugh. She found it comical to envision a man of Mark's size saying pretty please for anything.

"Kelly! This is not funny.. !" Gritting his teeth, he glared down at her.

"Say it or I swear I'll stop Mark!" she argued playfully before leaning over to take him in her mouth.

Mark moaned again and for a moment, Kelly thought he was going to try and fight her. But the pleasure proved too much for him and he finally gave in.

"OK! Pretty please with a cherry on top!" he groaned loudly. "Just don't stop again darlin'! Please!"

Finally taking pity on him, she concentrated all her efforts on pleasing him and it didn't take long before she felt him tense beneath her and he shouted out in pleasure as she finally let him slip over the edge. She took all of him in, licking him clean before she sat up and smiled down at him. He lazily opened one eye and glared at her, and it only took her a moment to realize that she was in trouble. Laughing, she moved to jump off of the bed, but Mark was too fast and he grabbed her, flipping her beneath him.

"Oh no you don't! You're not going anywhere! It's payback time!" he said with a straight face, although she could tell he was doing his best not to laugh.

"No, that was payback time!" she argued. "Or have you forgotten all those times when you tortured me so!"

Mark felt a pang of guilt hit him when he thought about those other nights. She was right. He had deserved it and now they were even.

Leaning down, he kissed her passionately as his hands traveled up her leg, gathering the material of her gown as he went. She suddenly had too many clothes on to suit him. He helped her pull it up and over her head, before pressing her back down into the bed. His hands moved to her breasts and he pinched and teased her nipples as he kissed her over and over again.

Kelly writhed and moaned helplessly beneath him. It had been too long since she had last been with him like this, although she knew that this time was different. This time she completely willing. All the way.

She gasped when she felt his mouth replace his fingers on her breasts and he teased her nipples with his tongue until they were both stiff and hard. Then he moved further down her body, exploring her slowly and gently until he found the small bud hidden between her legs. He continued to tease her there until she was almost to the point of begging herself just to get him to stop. Sensing her desperation, Mark moved back up her body and kissed her again. Breaking apart, he stilled himself and looked down at her.

"Are you sure about this darling'? Are you sure this is what you want? Because after tonight, I'm not going to let you out of my sight ever again."

"Yes Mark.. I'm sure. I've never been more sure of anything in my life." she replied softly.

Nodding his head, he quickly thrust into her, filling her completely. Kelly threw her head back and moaned loudly, as he began to move slowly within her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped him tight as he began to move faster. He held her close, murmuring words of love and encouragement in her ear as he felt her getting closer and closer to her release. Finally, he felt her buck wildly beneath him, and he held her even tighter as he felt her orgasm rip through her body. Kelly cried out loudly and dug her fingers into his back as she felt the waves wash over her. His own release quickly followed and he emptied himself deep inside of her. Collapsing on top of her, he stilled for a moment before rolling to his side and pulling her into his arms.

"I love you darlin'" he whispered softly.

"I love you too Mark." she replied.

They held each other tight as they both drifted off to sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Two months later**

Kelly stood outside of her new barn, smiling at the large crowd of people around her. Today was the grand opening and they certainly had quite a turnout. There were more people than Kelly would have ever expected.

Mark had finally talked her into rebuilding her business, only this time she did make it bigger, adding more stalls and more up-to-date facilities. At first she had been worried that she might have lost all of her customers after the fire, but many of them were so impressed with the fact that she had risked her life to save their animals that they eagerly brought their business back. So far, Kelly already had over half of the stalls rented out.

Looking around, she spotted Mark and George over by the fence arguing over some little detail and she couldn't help but smile. They still argued frequently, but now she no longer worried about them trying to kill each other. It was almost a friendly type of bickering, if there was such a thing. She thought they were both just so stubborn, they would die if they couldn't argue with somebody.

Things had worked out well between her and Mark and only a couple of weeks earlier she had agreed to move in with him. He'd been so helpful and supportive during the past few months and she didn't know how she would have ever survived the whole ordeal without him. Almost as if he could read her thoughts, he snuck up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.

"What do you think?" he chuckled.

"I think... that everything has worked out well, thanks to you of course! Things couldn't be better!" she replied.

"Actually I could think of something that would make things better." Mark said, as he nuzzled her neck.

"Mark! Not here!" she laughed, as she tried to pull away.

"That's not what I'm talkin' about." he chuckled, as he dug into his pocket. He removed a small box and opened it carefully before holding it out in front of them.

Kelly gasped when she saw the huge diamond sparkling in the sun. "Mark!"

"The only thing that would make this more perfect, is if you agree to be my wife."

She turned and looked up at him in surprise, as she struggled to find her voice.

"You're serious?" she finally asked.

Mark nodded his head.

"I don't know what to say!" she stated, as she studied the ring again.

"Yes would be a great start." he replied with a slight chuckle.

"Yes!" she answered, as she threw her arms around his neck. "I will marry you!"

Mark slipped the ring on her finger before picking her up and hugging her tight.

"Just do me one favor." he stated, when he sat her back down.

"What's that?" she asked.

"You break the news to George. Somehow I think he'd take it better coming from you!"

Kelly laughed and looped her arm around his waist as they headed into the barn.

"You know darlin' .. I'm really glad you gave me that second chance."

"Me too Mark." Kelly replied. "Me too."

~The End~

**Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review this! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!**


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